40 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know

Concern 2 – Is this the optimal way to get these results?

The second concern is about finding the answer to the following question:

Is this the optimal solution and can we verify that no other solution exists for this problem that is better than our solution?

At first glance, this question looks quite simple to answer. However, for a certain class of algorithms, researchers have unsuccessfully spent decades verifying whether a particular solution generated by an algorithm is also the best and that no other solution exists that can give better results. So, it becomes important that we first understand the problem, its requirements, and the resources available to run the algorithm. We need to acknowledge the following statement:

Should we aim ...