CSUMB Learning Journal 2025

 This week in CST370, we focused on merge sort and completed our midterm, which reviewed many of the algorithm concepts we’ve covered so far. Learning merge sort helped me better understand the divide and conquer strategy. The algorithm works by splitting a list into smaller halves, recursively sorting each half, and then merging them back together in order. I found it interesting how breaking a problem into smaller pieces can lead to a much more efficient solution, with a time complexity of  O ( n log ⁡ n ) O(n \log n) O ( n log n ) , compared to simpler sorting methods. We also took the midterm, which tested topics like asymptotic notation, brute force methods, recursion, and graph search algorithms such as BFS and DFS. Reviewing these concepts helped reinforce how different techniques are suited for different problems and how important it is to analyze efficiency before choosing an approach. Overall, this week strengthened my understanding of sorting algorithms and gave ...