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Lecture 2 - Greedy Algorithms.

Greedy algorithms are optimization techniques that make locally optimal choices at each step with the hope of finding a global optimum. While they are simple and efficient, they do not always guarantee an optimal solution, as demonstrated by the making change problem. Greedy algorithms are widely used in various fields, including networking, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

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2 views

Lecture 2 - Greedy Algorithms.

Greedy algorithms are optimization techniques that make locally optimal choices at each step with the hope of finding a global optimum. While they are simple and efficient, they do not always guarantee an optimal solution, as demonstrated by the making change problem. Greedy algorithms are widely used in various fields, including networking, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Uploaded by

markkifunye159
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Greedy Algorithms

Overview
• Greedy algorithms are used to solve optimization problems.
• Problems exhibit optimal substructure.
• Problems also exhibit the greedy-choice property.
• When we have a choice to make, make the one that looks best right
now.
• Make a locally optimal choice in hope of getting a globally optimal
solution.
Greedy Solutions to Optimization Problems

• Every two-year-old knows the greedy algorithm.


• In order to get what you want, just start grabbing
what looks best.
• Surprisingly, many important and practical
optimization problems can be solved this way.
Greedy Algorithms
• Many real-world problems are optimization problems in that they
attempt to find an optimal solution among many possible candidate
solutions.

• A familiar scenario is the change-making problem that we often


encounter at a cash register:

• Receiving the fewest numbers of coins to make change after paying


the bill for a purchase.
Example 1: Making Change

Problem:
• Find the minimum no. of quarters, dimes, nickels, and
pennies that total to a given amount.
Formal Algorithm
• Make change for n units using the least possible number of coins.
• MAKE-CHANGE (n)
C ← {100, 25, 10, 5, 1} // constant.
Sol ← {}; // set that will hold the solution set.
Sum ← 0 sum of item in solution set
WHILE sum not = n
x = largest item in set C such that sum + x ≤ n
IF no such item THEN
RETURN "No Solution"
S ← S {value of x}
sum ← sum + x
RETURN S
The Make-Change algorithm
• The purchase is worth $5.27, how many coins and what
coins does a cash register return after paying a $6 bill?
• For a given amount (e.g. $0.73), use as many quarters ($0.25)
as possible without exceeding the amount.
• Use as many dimes ($.10) for the remainder, then use as many
nickels ($.05) as possible.
• Finally, use the pennies ($.01) for the rest.
Make-Change algorithm

• Greedy algorithms determine the minimum number of coins


to give while making change.
• Steps one would take to emulate a greedy algorithm to
represent 36 cents using only coins with values {1, 5, 10, 20}.
• The coin of the highest value, less than the remaining change
owed, is the local optimum.
Hard: Making Change Example
• Problem: Find the minimum # of
4, 3, and 1 cent coins to make up 6 cents.
• Greedy Choice: Start by grabbing a 4-cent coin.
• Consequences:
4+1+1 = 6 mistake
3+3=6 better
Greedy Algorithm does not work!
When Does It Work?
•Greedy Algorithms:
•Easy to understand and to code, but do they work?
• For most optimization problems, all greedy algorithms tried do not work
(i.e. yield sub-optimal solutions)
• But some problems can be solved optimally by a greedy algorithm.
• The proof that they work, however, is subtle.
• As with all iterative algorithms, we use loop invariants.
Greedy Algorithms
• A greedy algorithm is an algorithm that follows the problem solving
heuristic of making the locally optimal choice at each stage with the
hope of finding a global optimum.
• A greedy strategy generally does not produce an optimal solution.
• But nonetheless a greedy heuristic may yield locally optimal solutions
that approximate a global optimal solution in a reasonable time.
• Greedy algorithms are very fast because they only consider each
object once.
Greedy algorithms components
• A candidate set; From which a solution is created.
• A selection function; which chooses the best candidate to be added to
the solution
• A feasibility function; That is used to determine if a candidate can be
used to contribute to a solution
• An objective function; Which assigns a value to a solution, or a partial
solution, and
• A solution function; Which will indicate when we have discovered a
complete solution
Greedy Strategy
• The choice that seems best at the moment is the one we go with.
• The algorithm is greedy because at every stage it chooses the largest coin
without worrying about the consequences.
• It never changes its mind in the sense that once a coin has been included
in the solution set, it remains there.
• The "greedy-choice property" and "optimal substructure" are two
ingredients/elements in the problem that lend to a greedy strategy.
Greedy choice property

• It says that “a globally optimal solution can be arrived at by making a locally


optimal choice”.
• Make whatever choice seems best at the moment and then solve
the sub-problems that arise later.
• The choice made by a greedy algorithm may depend on choices
made so far but not on future choices or all the solutions to the
sub-problem.
Greedy algorithms characteristics

• Greedy algorithms are:


• Simple and straightforward.
• Shortsighted in their approach (take decisions on the basis of
information at hand without worrying about the effect these
decisions may have in the future).
• Easy to invent, implement and most of the time quite
efficient.
Comparison:
• Greedy algorithms iteratively make one greedy choice after another,
reducing each given problem into a smaller one.
• i.e.; A greedy algorithm never reconsiders its choices.
• This is the main difference from dynamic programming, which is
exhaustive and is guaranteed to find the solution.
• Unlike Dynamic Programming, which solves the sub-problems bottom-
up, a greedy strategy usually progresses in a top-down fashion, making
one greedy choice after another, reducing each problem to a smaller one.
Summary:

• The advantage to using a greedy algorithm;


• Solutions to smaller instances of the problem can be
straightforward and easy to understand.
• The disadvantage;
• It is entirely possible that the most optimal short-term
solutions may lead to the worst long-term outcome.
Summary:

• Greedy algorithms are often used in:


• Ad hoc mobile networking to efficiently route packets with
the fewest number of hops and the shortest delay possible.
• They are also used in machine learning, business
intelligence (BI), artificial intelligence (AI) and
programming.
Any questions…??

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