22.3.1 - Base Case Optimality
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Practice Questions
Test your understanding with targeted questions
What is the main purpose of Huffman coding?
💡 Hint: Remember why we want to encode data.
Define what is meant by 'base case' in a recursive algorithm.
💡 Hint: Think about what ends the recursive calls.
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Interactive Quizzes
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What is the main aim of Huffman coding?
💡 Hint: Think about what happens when we compress files.
True or False: Huffman's algorithm guarantees a globally optimal solution.
💡 Hint: Reflect on how the process specifically ranks frequency.
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Challenge Problems
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Given a set of letters with the following frequencies: T=0.05, E=0.2, S=0.1, A=0.3, N=0.15, how would you construct the Huffman tree? Show all workings.
💡 Hint: Maintain a log of steps, ensuring you always merge the lowest two.
Discuss the implications of different character frequency distributions on the optimality of Huffman coding. What scenarios would lead to less optimal encodings?
💡 Hint: Think about how the nature of inputs changes the efficiency of the merging process.
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