Python Algorithms: Mastering Basic Algorithms in the Python Language, Second Edition

CHAPTER 11

Hard Problems and (Limited) Sloppiness

The best is the enemy of the good.

— Voltaire

This book is clearly about algorithmic problem solving. Until now, the focus has been on basic principles for algorithm design, as well as examples of important algorithms in many problem domains. Now, I’ll give you a peek at the flip side of algorithmics: hardness. Although it is certainly possible to find efficient algorithms for many important and interesting problems, the sad truth is that most problems are really hard. In fact, most are so hard that there’s little point in even trying to solve them. It then becomes important to recognize hardness, ...