Reflections on Algorithms

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On this week’s exam, I felt confident with core topics like merge sort’s Θ(n log n), and dense graph adjacency matrices. I know I'm able to apply some foundational techniques under pressure. However, I also made some mistakes that came from missing small but important details like carefully identifying the basic operation or following traversal conventions. I need to take a step back and think about both the big picture strategy and the fine details of implementation.

This week also marks the halfway point of Algorithms, and I feel like my thinking has grown. It's been both challenging and rewarding because it pushes me to break problems down logically instead of leaning on my intuition - which I often do. I need to strategize more on how I analyze loops, recurrences, and data structures. It also helps to find solutions using precise mathematical notation. Even when I get questions wrong, I view it as an opportunity to sharpen my reasoning and improve my problem solving.

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