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The Truth About Algorithms and Data Structures
When to start learning them and 6 books to get you started
You can do a lot with very little.
Modern, high-level languages abstract away lots of details. You don’t need to know the difference between selection sort, bubble sort, merge sort, and quicksort, for instance, to use Python’s sorted() function. It just works.
Do you really need to learn how to use data structures and algorithms?
Well… I’ve got news for you:
You’re already using algorithms and data structures
Ever used a string? That’s a data structure. Written a for loop? That’s an algorithm.
Algorithms and data structures are the building blocks of computer programs — even “Hello, World!” Over time, programmers recognize useful patterns they can apply to a broad range of problems. Language designers bake the most commonly used patterns into easy-to-use interfaces.
You don’t have to know how they’re implemented to reap the benefits.
