In divide and conquer algorithms, problems are divided into smaller subproblems and solved independently. Here's a general approach to deal with problems using divide and conquer:
Divide: Break down the problem into smaller subproblems that are easier to solve. This typically involves dividing the problem into two or more smaller instances.
Conquer: Solve each subproblem independently, either recursively or iteratively. If the subproblem is small enough, you can solve it directly.
Combine: Combine the solutions of the subproblems to obtain the solution for the original problem. This step may involve merging or merging the results of the subproblems.
Here are some specific steps to follow when applying the divide and conquer strategy:
Identify the problem: Understand the problem you are trying to solve and determine if it can be divided into smaller subproblems.
Define base cases: Determine the base cases or smallest subproblems that can be solved directly without further division.
Divide the problem: Identify how to divide the problem into smaller subproblems. This can be done by splitting the input data in half, dividing it into fixed-size chunks, or using another approach that suits the problem.
Recursively solve subproblems: Apply the divide and conquer strategy recursively to solve the subproblems. This often involves calling the same function on each subproblem until the base cases are reached.
Combine subproblem solutions: Once the base cases are reached and the subproblems are solved, combine the results to obtain the final solution. This may involve merging sorted subarrays, summing up the subproblem solutions, or any other combination method specific to the problem.
Return the solution: Finally, return the solution to the original problem.
It's important to note that the exact implementation of divide and conquer depends on the specific problem you are solving. The key is to divide the problem efficiently, recursively solve the subproblems, and combine their solutions to obtain the final solution.