What is a greedy algorithm and how can I implement it?

What is a greedy algorithm and how can I implement it?

A greedy algorithm is an approach that builds up a solution piece by piece, always choosing the next piece that offers the most immediate benefit. Would you like an example of how to implement one?

Yes, please provide an example.

Sure! A classic example is the coin change problem. The greedy approach would involve always taking the largest denomination coin first until the amount is reached. Would you like to see the code for this?

Yes, that would be great!

Here's a simple Python implementation:

def greedy_coin_change(coins, amount):
    coins.sort(reverse=True)
    result = []
    for coin in coins:
        while amount >= coin:
            amount -= coin
            result.append(coin)
    return result

This function takes a list of coin denominations and an amount, returning the coins used to make that amount.