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Topic: itt you recommend a book on data structures

Lark84
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posted 10-25-2007 04:01 PM $Profile for Lark84$ $Send New Private Message$ $Edit/Delete Post$ $Reply With Quote$

I need to learn about algorithms and data structures. Since I'm pretty sure most of you have some kind of background in computer science and probably have spent at least some time buried in a book about these things, why not throw out the question and see if I get an answer?

(if you don't want to read the rest of this unnecessarily long post, just blurt out a book title and I'll check it out for myself)

I'm not looking for a "Implementing data structures in language X" type book, but rather something akin to "Data structures and algorithms explained, in general". I'd prefer some kind of easy-to-understand pseudocode rather than syntactically correct gibberish in a programming language I don't know (that is, most of them - I used to know a little Java back in the day though).

Ideally, the book would:

- explain things carefully. (I'm a newbie at this)

- have informative examples, diagrams and illustrative pictures.

- not be very centered on abstract math - I guess math is needed to really give a good foundation in this subject, but math usually gives me a headache ("then don't study computer science", but I have to, you see, otherwise the garden gnomes punish me) when it is (as is all too common) just lines and lines of symbols strung together without any further explanation. Don't misunderstand me - I'd love for the book to explain the mathematical concepts in detail, I just like text and diagrams (see item 2) better than LaTeX-fu.

- be written in a not-too-formal tone, and fun to read.

Well, that's it. Post your suggestions, folks.

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10,000Lb.Snorlax
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posted 10-25-2007 06:21 PM $Profile for 10,000Lb.Snorlax$ $Author's Homepage$ $Send New Private Message$ $Edit/Delete Post$ $Reply With Quote$

quote:
'I guess math is needed to really give a good foundation in this subject'

nah.

I'm a little surprised that you are adverse to a
language book as I think it would be easier for you to conceptualize the ideas through code, and until you can actually use data structures and play with them in code there's only so much you can learn.

I personally would have a hard time teaching someone data structures without the medium of a programming language.

and no I can't really recommend you one [Frown]

if I were you I would google CS Data Structures course Textbook and go to all the .cs.edu entries. See what the 200 level CS courses are assigning.

The one I had back in college was pretty good - I'm sorry but I don't remember what it was

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MewtwoSama
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posted 10-26-2007 09:26 PM $Profile for MewtwoSama$ $Author's Homepage$ $Email MewtwoSama$ $Send New Private Message$ $Edit/Delete Post$ $Reply With Quote$

quote:
Originally posted by 10,000Lb.Snorlax:

The one I had back in college was pretty good - I'm sorry but I don't remember what it was

Isnt it irrelevant by now anyway?

- - - - -
Hade ni ikuze!

From: Abyss of Evil | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

10,000Lb.Snorlax
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posted 10-31-2007 12:25 PM $Profile for 10,000Lb.Snorlax$ $Author's Homepage$ $Send New Private Message$ $Edit/Delete Post$ $Reply With Quote$

Nah - data structures will be around forever as will their implementation in C++ (-what the book was about).

I remember programmatic concepts were fascinating to learn about. If you are interested in such things lark I would recommend investigating design patterns in software development also.

From: Denver | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Lark84
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posted 11-03-2007 07:04 AM $Profile for Lark84$ $Send New Private Message$ $Edit/Delete Post$ $Reply With Quote$

quote:
Originally posted by 10,000Lb.Snorlax:
data structures will be around forever as will their implementation

Yeah, from what I've learned about the subject so far, for some problems (like sorting a list) you can prove that algorithm X is the most efficient method, ever - thus, algorithm X will never go away, it will only require implementation in different programming languages.

Of course, if civilization were to crumble, it is unlikely that sorting a list in the most effective manner will be of high priority, but algorithm X will still be the best way to do it.

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