Analyzing algorithms

As mentioned previously in this chapter, when we design algorithms, they should meet the following characteristics:

• They are clear and unambiguous
• They have inputs that are well defined
• They have outputs that are well defined
• They have finiteness
• They are feasible
• They are language independent

In addition to those characteristics, when we are looking at algorithms and analyzing them, we want to make sure we ask ourselves some questions:

• Does the algorithm do what we want?
• Does the output make sense?
• Is there another way to get the same information in a clearer way?

There are many more questions we can ask ourselves when analyzing algorithms, but for now, let’s take a look at some algorithmic solutions and analyze them based on the aforementioned characteristics and questions.

Algorithm analysis 1 – states and capitals

A student has created an algorithm that includes a list of US states...