Newsgroups: comp.edu,comp.object,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.software.testing
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!europa.chnt.gtegsc.com!news.mathworks.com!gatech!swrinde!emory!cssun.mathcs.emory.edu!wa4mei!news.randomc.com!macshack.com!netcom.com!nagle
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: Producing competent CS grads (was: Theory and Practice)
Message-ID: <nagleDCrn0G.FBo@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <3v5kev$mve@explorer.csc.com> <3v80d0$n0k@locutus.rchland.ibm.com> <3v8dcn$9lg@sun132.spd.dsccc.com> <3vmcvv$miq@crchh327.rich.bnr.ca> <3voho1$ijm@newdelph.cig.mot.com> <3vqt9v$hcn@crchh327.rich.bnr.ca>
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1995 03:00:16 GMT
Lines: 22
Sender: nagle@netcom19.netcom.com
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.edu:13717 comp.object:36288 comp.lang.c++:142183 comp.lang.smalltalk:26717 comp.software.testing:5616

vanchau@bnr.ca (Vanchau Nguyen) writes:
>Ron Crocker (crocker@tamarin.cig.mot.com) wrote:
>: In article <3vmcvv$miq@crchh327.rich.bnr.ca>,
>: Vanchau Nguyen <vanchau@bnr.ca> wrote:

>: >However, this brings up a point.  Why is it necessary for a
>: >computer scientist to know off the top of his head such things?
>: >Recently, in one of our projects, we created a loop.  Later,
>: >we optimized the loop.  Of course, it was not the most difficult
>: >thing, but it did take some time and thought.  The last thing
>: >I would like to do at an interview is explain to you how to
>: >reduce algorithm time by to a certain Big O notation. laf.

      Because the order of an algorithm tends to be much more
important than the speed of a single pass.  The order of an
algorithm should never be too far from your mind when coding one.
I know of several major systems with terrible performance because
somebody forgot this, the most notable one being AT&T's "malloc"
in UNIX up to V7 or so.  It makes sense for an interviewer to ask
that question.

					John Nagle
