Intro

The divide and conquer approach.

Divide and conquer (D&C) solves problems by breaking them into smaller subproblems of the same type, solving each recursively, then combining the results.

The three steps: 1.1. Divide: Split the problem into smaller instances.

2.2. Conquer: Solve subproblems recursively. Base case handles smallest instances directly.

3.3. Combine: Merge subproblem solutions into the final answer.

I'll show you classic D&C algorithms, analyze their complexity with the Master Theorem, and teach you when D&C beats other approaches.