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Rating: 
Summary: College level computer science textbook
Review: "Algorithms and Data Structures: The Science of Computing" is designed as a second course computer science textbook for colleges. At this level most computer sciences classes tend to focus on programming and programming theory. While it does have some programming examples (all in Java), this book takes a more overall view and deals with the basics of algorithms and data structures. Why is this an important difference? I have seen a lot of bloated code over the years where a programmer writes a hundred or more lines of code to do something that a couple of lines could do if they only had a better understanding of algorithms. This course gives you the conceptual knowledge you need to be able to adapt to other computer languages and coding techniques as they are developed. The book does make some assumptions about the reader. First, it assumes the reader has had an introductory course in an object-oriented programming language. As indicated earlier, all examples are in Java, but you should be able to follow along if you have had a course in any object-oriented language. Second, the book also assumes a good (but not necessarily college level) background in mathematics. This is a foundational course in the design of algorithms, and data structures and mathematical theory to predict and verify, as well as empirical analysis to test the results. "Algorithms and Data Structures: The Science of Computing" is a recommended book as a second course in a computer sciences degree as well as a foundational course for those who are trying to develop a broad basis of computer knowledge at home.
Rating:
Summary: College level computer science textbook
Review: "Algorithms and Data Structures: The Science of Computing" is designed as a second course computer science textbook for colleges. At this level most computer sciences classes tend to focus on programming and programming theory. While it does have some programming examples (all in Java), this book takes a more overall view and deals with the basics of algorithms and data structures. Why is this an important difference? I have seen a lot of bloated code over the years where a programmer writes a hundred or more lines of code to do something that a couple of lines could do if they only had a better understanding of algorithms. This course gives you the conceptual knowledge you need to be able to adapt to other computer languages and coding techniques as they are developed. The book does make some assumptions about the reader. First, it assumes the reader has had an introductory course in an object-oriented programming language. As indicated earlier, all examples are in Java, but you should be able to follow along if you have had a course in any object-oriented language. Second, the book also assumes a good (but not necessarily college level) background in mathematics. This is a foundational course in the design of algorithms, and data structures and mathematical theory to predict and verify, as well as empirical analysis to test the results. "Algorithms and Data Structures: The Science of Computing" is a recommended book as a second course in a computer sciences degree as well as a foundational course for those who are trying to develop a broad basis of computer knowledge at home.
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