Micro-topic 1 A: Algorithm vs code vs “I tried it and it worked”
Goal: Build a clean definition of “algorithm,” “problem,” “instance,” and “correctness,” and treat correctness as non-negotiable.
Micro-topic 1 B: Efficiency is not a detail — it’s the fight
Goal: Internalize that time and memory are limited resources, and that algorithmic growth rate beats “clever coding” at scale.
Micro-topic 1 C: Algorithms are bigger than “coding” — techniques and limits
Goal: Make students fluent in the idea that algorithms are everywhere, and also that some problems resist fast solutions; this builds strategic realism.