📅 2024-04-17 — Session: Optimized Binary Search for i-th Element in Arrays

🕒 17:20–18:30
🏷️ Labels: Algorithm, Binary Search, Optimization, Debugging, Python
📂 Project: Dev
⭐ Priority: MEDIUM

Session Goal

The session aimed to optimize and correct an algorithm for finding the i-th element in two merged sorted arrays without fully merging them.

Key Activities

  • Reflection on Algorithm Education: Analyzed challenges in understanding recursive algorithms and logarithmic complexity, with recommendations for improved teaching strategies.
  • Algorithm Correction: Identified and corrected issues in a binary search algorithm used for finding the i-th element in merged arrays, focusing on index management and element comparison logic.
  • Optimization Techniques: Applied median-based decision-making and exponential search techniques to optimize the algorithm to O(log n) complexity.
  • Debugging: Utilized print statements for step-by-step debugging of the iesimo_merge function.

Achievements

  • Successfully refined the iesimo_merge function to achieve logarithmic complexity.
  • Enhanced the robustness and clarity of the binary search algorithm through improved index management and logic correction.

Pending Tasks

  • Further testing of the optimized algorithm in different scenarios to ensure robustness across edge cases.