Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer: Overview

Divide and conquer

• Break up problem into several parts
• Solve each part recursively
• Combine solutions to sub-problems into overall solution

Most common usage

• Break up problem of size n into equal parts of size$\frac{1}{2}n$.
• Solve two parts recursively
• Combine two solutions into overall solution in linear time.

Remark

• Partition the problem into disjoint subproblems
• Each subproblem is the same type as the original problem
• A simple partition of the problem and combination of solutions to subproblems may not neat brute force.

The phrase is attributed to Julius Caesar, Philip II, king of Macedon(382-336 BC), describing his political policy.