Faculty of Information Technology
FIT1008 Fundamentals of algorithms is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Information Technology, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Malaysia. It needs FIT1045 or FIT1053 and unlocks 12 units, leading on to 47 units in all. Students rate it 4.0 out of 5 from 1 review and call it hard.
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2026 entry.
Solid introduction to data structures and complexity. The content is genuinely useful for interviews later on. Assignment specs were a bit long and some marking felt strict on edge cases, so read the rubric carefully and write your own tests.
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
Pass these before you enrol.
12 units list FIT1008 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Prerequisites: Students beginning FIT1008 are assumed to be able to: Identify the main components of an algorithm (variables, operators, expressions, etc), and write the algorithm associated to the specification of a simple problem. Be able to translate a simple algorithm into a program containing variable declarations, selection, repetition, and lists and/or arrays.
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
This unit introduces you to core problem-solving, analytical skills, and methodologies useful for developing flexible, robust, and maintainable software. In doing this, it covers a range of conceptual levels, from fundamental algorithms and data structures, down to their efficient implementation as well as complexity. Topics include data types, data structures, algorithms, algorithmic complexity, recursion, and their practical applications.
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
| First semester | Malaysia | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
| Second semester | Malaysia | On campus |
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
Translate problem statements into algorithms and implement them in a high-level programming language;
Determine appropriate basic abstract data types, including; stacks, queues, lists, binary trees, priority queues, heaps and hash tables; for specific contexts;
Theoretically and experimentally evaluate different implementations of basic abstract data types;
Analyse the efficiency of algorithms by determining their best-case and worst-case big-O time complexity;
Work in teams to analyse algorithms and write programs.
This unit has a requirement of 1-2 hours per week of asynchronous learning.
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled online and face to face learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated reading and preparation for scheduled teaching activities.
1. Problem-Solving with algorithms and data structures using Python, Authors: Miller & Ranum
[also freely available online under CC license: https://interactivepython.org/runestone/static/pythonds/index.html]
2. Data Structures & Algorithms in Python, Authors: Goodrich, Tamassia & Goldwasser
3. "Introduction to Algorithms” by Thomas Cormen, Charles Leiserson, Ronald Rivest, and Clifford Stein
Python 3: This will be our programming language. Please make sure you get at least version 3.3 - https://www.python.org/downloads/
PyCharm : A good Python IDE. http://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
FIT1008 is part of 4 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
You need FIT1045 or FIT1053 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.
FIT1008 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 12 units, including FIT2004, FIT2014, FIT2099, FIT2102, FIT2179 and FIT3139. Those lead on to 47 units in all.
In 2025, FIT1008 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Malaysia.
Students who took it rate it hard to do well in and heavy on workload (1 rating). The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester.
No. FIT1008 has 7 assessment tasks and no exam.
FIT1008 is part of Computational science and Computer science.
It is rated 4.0 out of 5 from 1 review. Read the reviews above or add your own.