Greedy Algorithms:

Main Ideas
Michael Levin
Higher School of Economics

Algorithmic Design and Techniques

Algorithms and Data Structures
 Outline

1 Largest Number

2 Car Fueling

3 Implementation and Analysis

4 Main Ingredients
Learning objectives
Come up with a greedy algorithm
yourself
Job Interview
Job Interview
Job Interview
Job Interview
 Largest Number
Toy problem
What is the largest number that consists of
digits 3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1? Use all the digits.
 Largest Number
Toy problem
What is the largest number that consists of
digits 3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1? Use all the digits.

Examples

359179, 537991, 913579, . . .

Correct answer

997531
 Greedy Strategy

5 7 3 9 1 9
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 9 1 9

Find max digit

 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 9 1 9 9

Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 9 1 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9 7

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 7 3 1 9 9 7

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 3 1 9 9 7

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 3 1 9 9 7

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 3 1 9 9 7 5

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

5 3 1 9 9 7 5

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

3 1 9 9 7 5

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

3 1 9 9 7 5

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

3 1 9 9 7 5 3

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

3 1 9 9 7 5 3

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

1 9 9 7 5 3

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

1 9 9 7 5 3

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

1 9 9 7 5 3 1

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

1 9 9 7 5 3 1

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy
Find max

9 9 7 5 3 1

Remove Append
Find max digit
Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Greedy Strategy

5 7 3 9 1 9 9 9 7 5 3 1

Find max digit

Append it to the number
Remove it from the list of digits
Repeat while there are digits in the list
 Outline

1 Largest Number

2 Car Fueling

3 Implementation and Analysis

4 Main Ingredients
Car Fueling
Distance with full tank = 400km
Car Fueling
Distance with full tank = 400km

0km 950km
A B
Car Fueling
Distance with full tank = 400km

0km 200km 375km 550km 750km 950km

A B
Car Fueling
Distance with full tank = 400km

0km 200km 375km 550km 750km 950km

A B
Car Fueling
Distance with full tank = 400km

0km 200km 375km 550km 750km 950km

A B
Car Fueling
Distance with full tank = 400km

0km 200km 375km 550km 750km 950km

A B

Minimum number of refills = 2

Car Fueling
Input: A car which can travel at most L
kilometers with full tank, a source
point A, a destination point B and
n gas stations at distances
x1 ≤ x2 ≤ x3 ≤ · · · ≤ xn in
kilometers from A along the path
from A to B.
Output: The minimum number of refills to
get from A to B, besides refill at A.
 Greedy Strategy

Make some greedy choice

Reduce to a smaller problem
Iterate
 Greedy Choice

Refill at the the closest gas station

Refill at the farthest reachable gas
station
Go until there is no fuel
 Greedy Choice

Refill at the the closest gas station

Refill at the farthest reachable gas
station
Go until there is no fuel
 Greedy Algorithm

Start at A
 Greedy Algorithm

Start at A
Refill at the farthest reachable gas
station G
 Greedy Algorithm

Start at A
Refill at the farthest reachable gas
station G
Make G the new A
 Greedy Algorithm

Start at A
Refill at the farthest reachable gas
station G
Make G the new A
Get from new A to B with minimum
number of refills
Definition
Subproblem is a similar problem of smaller
size.
 Subproblem

Examples
LargestNumber(3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1) =
 Subproblem

Examples
LargestNumber(3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1) =
‘‘9’’ +
 Subproblem

Examples
LargestNumber(3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1) =
‘‘9’’ + LargestNumber(3, 5, 9, 7, 1)
 Subproblem

Examples
LargestNumber(3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1) =
‘‘9’’ + LargestNumber(3, 5, 9, 7, 1)
Min number of refills from A to B =
 Subproblem

Examples
LargestNumber(3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1) =
‘‘9’’ + LargestNumber(3, 5, 9, 7, 1)
Min number of refills from A to B =
first refill at G +
 Subproblem

Examples
LargestNumber(3, 9, 5, 9, 7, 1) =
‘‘9’’ + LargestNumber(3, 5, 9, 7, 1)
Min number of refills from A to B =
first refill at G + min number of refills
from G to B
 Safe Move

Definition
A greedy choice is called safe move if there is
an optimal solution consistent with this first
move.
Lemma
To refill at the farthest reachable gas station
is a safe move.
Proof

A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1
A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1 G
A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1 G
A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1 G G2
A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1 G G2
A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1 G G2
A B

First case: G is closer than G2

Refill at G instead of G1
Proof
G1 G
A B

Second case: G2 is closer than G

Avoid refill at G1
Proof
G1 G2 G
A B

Second case: G2 is closer than G

Avoid refill at G1
Proof
G1 G2 G
A B

Second case: G2 is closer than G

Avoid refill at G1
Proof
G1 G2 G
A B

Second case: G2 is closer than G

Avoid refill at G1
Proof
G1 G2 G
A B

Second case: G2 is closer than G

Avoid refill at G1
Proof
Route R with the minimum number of
refills
Proof
Route R with the minimum number of
refills
G1 — position of first refill in R
Proof
Route R with the minimum number of
refills
G1 — position of first refill in R
G2 — next stop in R (refill or B)
Proof
Route R with the minimum number of
refills
G1 — position of first refill in R
G2 — next stop in R (refill or B)
G — farthest refill reachable from A
Proof
Route R with the minimum number of
refills
G1 — position of first refill in R
G2 — next stop in R (refill or B)
G — farthest refill reachable from A
If G is closer than G2, refill at G instead
of G1
Proof
Route R with the minimum number of
refills
G1 — position of first refill in R
G2 — next stop in R (refill or B)
G — farthest refill reachable from A
If G is closer than G2, refill at G instead
of G1
Otherwise, avoid refill at G1
 Outline

1 Largest Number

2 Car Fueling

3 Implementation and Analysis

4 Main Ingredients
A = x0 ≤ x1 ≤ x2 ≤ · · · ≤ xn ≤ xn+1 = B

MinRefills(x, n, L)
numRefills ← 0, currentRefill ← 0
while currentRefill ≤ n:
lastRefill ← currentRefill
while (currentRefill ≤ n and
x[currentRefill + 1] − x[lastRefill] ≤ L):
currentRefill ← currentRefill + 1
if currentRefill == lastRefill:
return IMPOSSIBLE
if currentRefill ≤ n:
numRefills ← numRefills + 1
return numRefills
Lemma
The running time of MinRefills(x, n, L) is
O(n).
Lemma
The running time of MinRefills(x, n, L) is
O(n).

Proof
currentRefill changes from 0 to n + 1,
one-by-one
Lemma
The running time of MinRefills(x, n, L) is
O(n).

Proof
currentRefill changes from 0 to n + 1,
one-by-one
numRefills changes from 0 to at most n,
one-by-one
Lemma
The running time of MinRefills(x, n, L) is
O(n).

Proof
currentRefill changes from 0 to n + 1,
one-by-one
numRefills changes from 0 to at most n,
one-by-one
Thus, O(n) iterations
 Outline

1 Largest Number

2 Car Fueling

3 Implementation and Analysis

4 Main Ingredients
Reduction to Subproblem

Make a first move

Then solve a problem of the same kind
Smaller: fewer digits, fewer fuel stations
This is called a “subproblem”
 Safe move

A move is called safe if there is an

optimal solution consistent with this
first move
 Safe move

A move is called safe if there is an

optimal solution consistent with this
first move
Not all first moves are safe
 Safe move

A move is called safe if there is an

optimal solution consistent with this
first move
Not all first moves are safe
Often greedy moves are not safe
 General Strategy

Problem
 General Strategy
greedy choice
Problem

Make a greedy choice

 General Strategy
greedy choice
Problem Safe move

Make a greedy choice

Prove that it is a safe move
 General Strategy
greedy choice
Problem Safe move

Subproblem
Make a greedy choice
Prove that it is a safe move
Reduce to a subproblem
 General Strategy
greedy choice
Problem Safe move

Subproblem
Make a greedy choice
Prove that it is a safe move
Reduce to a subproblem
Solve the subproblem