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Dynamic Programming Courses

Take free online computer programming courses to build your skills. Learn to code from Harvard, MIT, Microsoft, IBM and other top institutions on edX. Join today.

learn dynamic programming

learn dynamic programming

What Is Dynamic Programming?

Dynamic programming involves breaking down significant programming problems into smaller subsets and creating individual solutions. It's an integral part of building computer solutions for the newest wave of programming. Basically, it takes an optimization problem and divides it into simpler sub-problems, storing solutions so that you only solve each smaller problem once. When done correctly, the solutions build on each other to create an optimal solution for the original question, helping you avoid overlap and recoding for similar issues within the problem framework. Dynamic programming solutions make use of these overlapping subproblems to facilitate solving the original issue. It uses things like Fibonacci series numbers to create more elegant solutions to problems where a recursive algorithm would come at a considerable cost. It reduces the amount of binary search trees within an algorithm and can help mitigate greedy algorithms. A typical example would be the Floyd Warshall algorithm, a method for finding the shortest path in a weighted graph, an algorithm designed back in the 1960s. It allows you to edit distance and increase the number of ways you can solve an issue within a broader context.

Learn Dynamic Programming

Dynamic programming algorithms have a reputation for being difficult to master, but that's because many programs teach algorithms themselves without explaining how to find the algorithm. Dynamic programming problems help create the shortest path to your solution. Learning how to locate these solutions in a bottom-up method rather than traditional top-down problem solving could ignite your programming chops.

Dynamic Programming Courses and Certificates

edX offers courses in aspects of dynamic programming that can help you understand the principles and practice of this particular methodology. In partnership with leading institutions, you can learn things like dynamic programming within the context of machine learning with UC San Diego, a course that teaches you to define your issue, build data structures, and initialize solutions that facilitate complex machine learning. UC San Diego also offers a comprehensive course in Algorithmic Design and Technics, part of which is an introduction to DP problems and potential solutions. Microsoft provides a course in dynamic programming within the context of machine learning, and Dartmouth offers fundamentals in C-programming, which introduces the concept of string arrays and matrix chain multiplication.

Ignite Your Career With Dynamic Programming

Recursive solutions only offer so much. Once your total number of algorithmic resources is dedicated to solving what could be shorter problems, you'll need dynamic programming to help get you out of algorithm trouble and reduce the maximum number of decision trees your program has to create to solve. Dynamic programming may have a reputation for being difficult, but once you understand the fundamentals of finding the right algorithms and how this elegant solution can create more efficient solutions, you'll be a welcome addition to any programming team.