Learning JavaScript Data Structures and Algorithms - Third Edition

The minimum coin change problem

The minimum coin change problem is a variation of the coin change problem. The coin change problem consists of finding out in how many ways we can make change for a particular amount of cents using a given amount of set denominations (d₁... d_n). The minimum coin change problem consists of finding the minimum number of coins needed to make a particular amount of cents using a given amount of set denominations (d₁...d_n).

For example, the United States has the following denominations (coins): d₁ = 1; d₂ = 5; d₃ = 10; and d₄ = 25.

If we need to make change for 36 cents, we can use 1 quarter (25), 1 dime (10), and 1 penny (1).

How do we transform this solution into an algorithm?

The min-coin change solution consists ...