Data Structure & Algorithm Mcquain: Fill & Download for Free

A competitive programmer's perspective.Read the following books: Algorithms by Sedgewick, Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen et al.Read the TopCoder Algorithm Tutorials. Shout out to Michal Forišek (misof) and Dima Korolev (DmitryKorolev).Solve the problems in the USACO Training Program Gateway.Solve problems in online judges and compete in programming contests. For data structures in particular, in my experience, Central/East European OIs tend to have the most interesting problems. For algorithms, try to solve problems from a variety of different sources so you can learn to apply as many different kinds of algorithms as possible.Work at your own pace, and ask for help if you get stuck on problems.Ultimately, everyone has their own learning strategies. You'll have to figure out what works for you. The most important thing is to stay motivated and keep working at it.. But if you grow bored of learning algorithms and data structures, go do something else.

If you are truly a complete beginner in algorithms and want to learn them well, I actually suggest that you begin with some of the necessary background math. Before students at MIT take algorithms, they are required to take Discrete Math, which uses a textbook like Ken Rosen's Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, to get valuable grounding in the logic, graphs, combinatorics, and proofs that play an essential role in the study of algorithms. Don't worry, it's not dry like some math; these books know they're preparation for algorithms and are written with that in mind.

When I began coding back in 2013, I wasn’t obsessed with data structures and it turned out fine, but just fine, not exceptional!. I however realized over time that I had to learn data structures and algorithms as these are the core concepts in computer science that helps one understand what is really going on behind your code. Learning this has significantly improved my coding skills, plus you also learn how to solve and optimize coding problems better.It may seem as though beginners are getting obsessed with data structures and algorithms, but it’s funny how the majority of new programmers aren’t. This is due to the latest trends and implementations in programming and how they’ve covered the need to have an in-depth knowledge of data structures and algorithms.Today, you can easily learn any framework or language because more experienced programmers have implemented layers upon layers on the core concepts of computing, removing the need to obsess about data structures and algorithms and have made the learning curve smooth.i.e Today you can build a fully functional website or mobile application without having in depth knowledge of data structures and algorithms. You’d need to know arrays, lists and other datatypes but nothing too deep.This is not to say the study of these core concepts aren’t important.Many developers today are self-taught, and most start out with inner questions like:“How do i build a website or mobile app”“I want a mobile app for xxxx idea”These days, programming beginners are more focused on the shining technologies. “Social media programmers” and bloggers flaunt various technologies and tutorials of how they’re used. This is not a bad thing but it’s becoming more and more distracting and make beginners jump right into learning these frameworks.I am guilty of this. When I began coding, I was straight to jump into the technologies and latest frameworks. I learnt a lot this way and also learnt how to solve different problems, but it’s not enough.Programming is thinking not typing.Knowledge of Data Structures and Algorithms would improve your thought process to writing better code.Data structures and algorithms are base of computer science!