Algorithms and data

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the fundamentals of algorithms and data structures, including time and space complexity analysis; and
• the basic principles of writing software to process biomedical data using appropriate algorithms and data structures.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• empirically evaluate the performance of algorithms for a given dataset.
• implement given data structures and algorithms.
• design data structures and algorithms appropriate to a particular biomedical engineering problem.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• evaluate the complexity of algorithms.
• select the most appropriate algorithmic strategies for a particular problem

• Abstract Data Types (ADTs) including collection, dictionary, lists, queues, stacks and trees.
• Arrays: single, multi-dimensional and sparse.

oLinear and binary search.

• Graphs.

oCharacteristics: (un)directed, (a)cyclic, (un)connected, and (un)weighted.

oSearching algorithms: Breadth-first, shortest-path, depth-first, minimal spanning tree.

• Sorting Algorithms: Selection, insertion; quicksort, merge, and fast-sorting.
• Algorithmic analysis framework.

oAverage, best, and worst-case performance.

oEmpirical and relative (order of growth) measurements: Constant, logarithmic, linear, log linear, quadratic, cubic, and exponential.

oInput size and primitive operations.

oTime and space efficiency.

• Asymptotic complexity analysis.

oBig O, little o, big Omega, and big theta.

oFoundational complexity/Efficiency classes.

• Tractability and intractability.
• Linear programming, dynamic programming and Heuristic approximations.

In-person lectures and tutorials.

Computer labs.

Individual study.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.