This study notes covers Deep Dive: Uses of Random Numbers within Merge Sort for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Merge Sort in 3.1 Fundamentals of Algorithms for GCSE Computer Science with 16 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 5 of 8 in this topic. Use this study notes to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Deep Dive: Uses of Random Numbers
- Games: Dice rolls, card shuffling, enemy spawning
- Simulations: Weather models, traffic patterns
- Security: Encryption keys, password generation
- Testing: Generating test data
- Art: Procedural generation, random patterns
Practice questions for Merge Sort
Which design strategy does merge sort use?
Describe how merge sort works. You should include what happens in both the divide and merge phases.
Quick recall flashcards
What technique does merge sort use?
Divide and conquer - splits list in half repeatedly then merges sorted halves
Is merge sort a recursive algorithm?
Yes - it calls itself on smaller sub-lists