Want Job Alerts? Join UsWhat are the best books on algorithms and data structures?
Data structures and algorithms are essential for becoming a skilled programmer since they considerably improve one’s problem-solving capabilities. Furthermore, with all of the excitement surrounding data science and machine learning, many students and professionals are launching their careers in these sectors daily. Learning algorithms and data structures is highly important for these folks, especially if they do not come from a Computer Science background.
There are lots of other great books on Data Structures and algorithms, let me try to list out a few best books on algorithms and data structures?:
1) “Introduction to Algorithms” by Thomas H Cormen, Charles E Leiserson, Ronald L Rivest and Clifford Stein – This book is known by its initials CLRS . It has been around since 1990’s and it covers topics such as Sorting , Searching , Complexity etc. It contains various topics from classic algorithms such as Union-Find, shortest path in a graph and many more. This book is very widely used by students who wish to learn data structures and algorithm design .
2) “Introduction to Algorithms” by Robert Sedgewick – There is also a well known book on the subject by Robert Sedgewick which covers some of the same topics that “Introduction to Algorithms” does but in greater detail. It has been around since 1990’s and it covers topics such as Sorting , Searching , Complexity etc. One big advantage of this book is that it uses Java Programming language to explain things so if you are familiar with Java you should consider giving this book a shot.
3) “Data Structures and Algorithms” by Peter Brass– This is one of the best books for data structures available today. The book has recently been updated to cover C++11 features as well . This book covers topics such as Sorting, Searching , Graphs , Trees etc. It does contain some good coverage on various algorithms related to these topics. It also contains chapter where it covers Stacks using both C++ STL stack / queue containers which is quite useful if you are learning these data structures for first time. We also recommend visiting Brass Online Reference Guide
4) “Sorting and Searching” by Mark Allen Weiss – This is a stronger book than either Cormen or Sedgewick as it puts more emphasis on the practical side of data structures rather than just theoretical concepts .In addition to covering topics such as Sorting, Searching , Advanced Data Structures etc, It contains chapters where it covers external memory sorting techniques with example implementations. One big advantage of this book is that it uses C programming language for examples which makes these topics better understood by people who are new to these concepts. We also recommend visiting Weiss’s website for additional notes and lecture slides available for free.
5) “Data Structures & Algorithms” by Alan Skorkin – This book contains lot of practical examples and it really good one if you are looking for something which is simple to read yet covers all important topics. This books has chapters where it covers Stacks, Queues, Sorting etc using both C++ STL containers as well as built in arrays . It also touches upon some advanced concepts such as Bloom Filters , Skip List etc.
6) “Introduction To Algorithms” by Robert Sedgewick & Kevin Wayne – This book is very recent addition to the list and covers some of the same topics that Cormen does but in greater detail. In addition to covering topics such as Sorting , Searching , Algorithmic Puzzles etc, It contains chapters where it covers priority queues using both STL Priority_Queue container as well as built in arrays .
7) “Data Structures and Network Algorithms” By Sanjoy Dasgupta, Christos H Papadimitriou, Umesh V Vazirani – This books talks about data structures from networking perspective and its a unique book which you won’t find with any other publisher . This books covers topics such as Sorting, Searching , Optimization Techniques etc and has good coverage on Network Flow Algorithms.
One big advantage of this book is that it contains chapter where it explains how to build Dictionaries and Hash Maps using C++ STL maps / sets and how they can be used in network programming for data caching purposes. We also recommend visiting Professor Dasgupta’s website for additional free online resources available for this book.
8) “Computer Science Distilled” By Peter Alfredsen – This books an introductory computer science textbook published by Elsevier Publishers covering topics such as Basic Concepts , Operating Systems, Data Structures , Algorithms, Advanced Data Structures etc. This book is also good read for people who are new to computer science as a subject and want to learn basic concepts from ground up .
This books explains many important topics using both C++ STL containers as well as built in arrays without going into much of the theoretical side which makes this book quite useful for those learning data structures & algorithms on their own. We also recommend visiting Peter Alfredsen’s webpage for additional free online resources available for this book.
9) “Advanced Data Structures” by Jonas Lowgren – This books cover some of the most difficult and advanced concepts such as Dynamic Programming, Amortized Analysis, Cache Oblivious Algorithms etc . It also has a chapter explaining how can we build efficient Priority Queues using C++ STL priority_queue container .
This books contains lot of practical examples and its very useful for people who are looking for something that is more challenging to read. Many algorithms covered in this book are not covered by any other data structure / algorithm book so it gives you an advantage if you want to learn practical implementation of some less known yet important data structures.
10) “Algorithms & Data Structures” By Robert Lafore – This books start off with some basic concepts such as Arrays , Strings etc and then quickly moves on to covering topics such as Balanced Binary trees , hashing techniques, weight balanced trees etc.
One good thing about this book is that it explains all the algorithms covered in this book using programming language C so if you know how to program in C than this books great for you. We also recommend visiting Robert Lafore’s website for additional free online resources available for this book.
Taking an online course is the greatest approach to understanding data structures and algorithms. There are so many resources available online these days that can help to improve your skill to the next level. It also allows you to work at your own pace and devote more attention to areas that you find difficult to grasp.
If you prefer online Course then we would suggest you following online courses-
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JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass- The Missing Computer Science and Coding Interview Bootcamp (JavaScript)
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Data Structures & Algorithms – Java– The Ultimate Java Coding Interview & Computer Science Bootcamp