Data Structures26 min read
Dynamic Programming Intro
Understand dynamic programming as saving repeated work, with memoization and classic examples like Fibonacci.
David Miller
November 16, 2025
4.2k85
Dynamic Programming (DP) = solve once, reuse many times.
Fibonacci naive
def fib(n):
if n <= 1:
return n
return fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)
This repeats work.
Memoized version
def fib(n, memo={}):
if n in memo:
return memo[n]
if n <= 1:
return n
memo[n] = fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)
return memo[n]
Graph
flowchart TD
A[fib(5)] --> B[fib(4)]
A --> C[fib(3)]
B --> D[fib(3)]
B --> E[fib(2)]
Remember
- DP avoids recomputation
- memo = cache
- huge speedups
#Python#Advanced#DP