CST 370 - Week 1 - 8 Coins but every single day
The example of the 8 coins problem (9 coins in our quiz), was really interesting and pretty mind-blowing. My initial instinct was binary search, or halving the pile until I found it in three weighings. But there’s a faster way. By initially dividing them into groups of three, you can find the fake in just two steps. This was a really interesting and practical example that made me think about efficiency in the real world. Algorithm efficiency isn't just textbook theory ... it’s about optimizing problem-solving. I feel like I actually execute algorithms unconsciously all the time. For example when I lose my keys. I don't look at the whole house randomly, I retrace my steps backward, eliminating irrelevant search spaces just like an efficient function. Overall it's exciting to jump into class and I'm excited to see where else I can make my own thinking more efficient.