The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

Rating:
Summary: The very classic
Review: Excluding Knuth's opera (another dimension), this (AHU) is about the other and only renowned classic algorithms book, deseverdly I'd say, together with Cormen-Leiserson-Rivest's (CLR) "Introduction to Algorithms". With the difference that the first and only edition of AHU has been written 16 years before the first (of the two) editions of CLR.

The two books are quite different in the language and formalism used: more formal and mathematical inclined AHU with respect to CLR. I'd say, the very classic style of his authors who have made history in the CS literature with their books (particularly 2 on algorithms and data structures, 2 on Computer Theory, 2 on Compilers, 1 on CS foundations): as these books have been used in most universities around the world for decades, they've proved to be real milestones in the education of thousands of students.

The books differ also in scope, since AHU is certainly not an encyclopedic collection as CLR does, with his roughly 500 pages against 1000. In spite of this, I'd point out the following: my textbook on Algorithms was CLR, but when we got to Complexity Classes (P-NP and theory behind) we "had" to switch to AHU for the simple reason that CLR did not almost mention at all Turing Machines nor Space Complexity, without which is certainly possible to learn e.g. about NP-TIME completeness, but without which, such a path would equally certainly miss some foundamental topics of Complexity Theory.

All in all, then, imo the book truly deserves 5 stars (and perhaps it would deserve a second, updated, edition too ... possibly, imho, through a bit less revolutionary revision job than they did with "Introduction to Automata Theory, Language and Computation").

As a final note, those looking for a more applicative and self-reference than an educational introductory text, could have a look at the two-volumes opera by the former Knuth's pupil, Robert Sedgewick (possibly the more consolidated C or C++ versions).

Rating:
Summary: The very classic
Review: Excluding Knuth's opera (another dimension), this (AHU) is about the other and only renowned classic algorithms book, deseverdly I'd say, together with Cormen-Leiserson-Rivest's (CLR) "Introduction to Algorithms". With the difference that the first and only edition of AHU has been written 16 years before the first (of the two) editions of CLR.

The two books are quite different in the language and formalism used: more formal and mathematical inclined AHU with respect to CLR. I'd say, the very classic style of his authors who have made history in the CS literature with their books (particularly 2 on algorithms and data structures, 2 on Computer Theory, 2 on Compilers, 1 on CS foundations): as these books have been used in most universities around the world for decades, they've proved to be real milestones in the education of thousands of students.

The books differ also in scope, since AHU is certainly not an encyclopedic collection as CLR does, with his roughly 500 pages against 1000. In spite of this, I'd point out the following: my textbook on Algorithms was CLR, but when we got to Complexity Classes (P-NP and theory behind) we "had" to switch to AHU for the simple reason that CLR did not almost mention at all Turing Machines nor Space Complexity, without which is certainly possible to learn e.g. about NP-TIME completeness, but without which, such a path would equally certainly miss some foundamental topics of Complexity Theory.

All in all, then, imo the book truly deserves 5 stars (and perhaps it would deserve a second, updated, edition too ... possibly, imho, through a bit less revolutionary revision job than they did with "Introduction to Automata Theory, Language and Computation").

As a final note, those looking for a more applicative and self-reference than an educational introductory text, could have a look at the two-volumes opera by the former Knuth's pupil, Robert Sedgewick (possibly the more consolidated C or C++ versions).

Rating:
Summary: algorithms
Review: it has helped me a lot in my assignments.i suggest others also to read this book

Rating:
Summary: An excellent presentation of essential concepts
Review: The book elaborates thoroughly on the basics every programmer should be familiar with. If you are into software development, and have found some unfamiliar concepts in the book description - that's a sure sign that you need this book on your desk.

Rating:
Summary: Yet another CS classic
Review: This is yet another classic from the Aho Gang!

It sets up a very formal framework for discussing alorithms, beginning at the beginning..an abstract mathematical model of a computer. and builds up the rest of the book using the model for implementation as well as quantification.

A solid framework for the analysis of algorithms is setup. The necessary mathematics is covered, helping in measuring an algorithm's complexity..basically the time and space complexities.

Then it goes on to deal with designing algorithms. the design methodology, with elaborate examples and exercises.

It should be admitted however that this is a solid text for the mathematically oriented. Thats the reason for the 5 stars!

If you want to go a little easy on the formalisms try
"Computer Algorithms, Pseudocode" by Ellis Horowitz, Sartaj Sahni, Sanguthevar Rajasekaran. I found it more pragmatic.

Rating:
Summary: Not optional
Review: When I was in grad school starting a course in the Analysis of Algorithms, our professor told us there were only two reasonable choices of text for the course. We could use Knuth TAOCP or AHU. Since we were all students, probably starving, we would use AHU.