Algorithms (4th Edition)

One of the biggest roadblocks in studying Computer Science is the popular tome Introduction to Algorithms by CLRS. It is the most common textbook for introductory algorithms courses at universities. While it is a great book for learning analysis of algorithms and as a reference, in my opinion it is a horrible book to learn algorithms. I am pretty sure a great many number of students have been turned off from and have fear of algorithms since this book was their first look at algorithms. Thankfully, there is an excellent cure for this problem.

I recently re-discovered the wonderful world of microprocessors with the book Inside the Machine. It made me realize that there must be books out there on every topic that are more intuitive, stimulating and illustrative than the status quo. I started to look for such a book on algorithms. After checking out almost every textbook on this topic out there, I discovered Algorithms (4th Edition) by Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne. And, I fell in love! 😁

This is an introductory textbook for algorithms. The book covers all the most important algorithms on sorting, searching, graphs and strings. Real-world problems and historical perspectives are provided at the beginning of every chapter to motivate the algorithm. After that a skeleton of a Java class is sketched out with the API that is demanded by the problem. The authors then show why other algorithms studied earlier in the book cannot solve this problem. Using these failings as a key, the user is introduced to a new concept that can solve the problem. This is then advanced to the final algorithm with full working Java code to fill out the skeleton API. Finally, many propositions about the time and space complexity of the algorithm are put forward with their proofs.

I never thought that I would find an Algorithms book so addictive that I would study it cover to cover! What is so special about this book? There are a few reasons for that. First are the illustrations. There are more illustrations in this book than there are pages (yes, not kidding!). The authors have taken great pains to tear apart the difficulty in understanding how and why an algorithm works. And then the code: this is the simplest, most elegant real code I have ever seen written for algorithms. For example: do red-black trees haunt your dreams? This book banishes that fear by elegantly using 2-3 trees and morphing that understanding to red-black trees. And finally the proofs. Every proposition and its intuitive proof is such a joy to work through and finally understand that it gives one a high!

In my humble opinion, Algorithms (4th Edition) by Sedgewick and Wayne is the best introduction to algorithms. There is quite simply no other book out there that will make you fall in love with algorithms like this one. My only advise is that you make sure you understand every illustration and concept in the book. That goes a long way in giving you an intuitive feel of the algorithm. If you are picking up this book, do remember to check out the book’s website. It contains a lot of supporting content, including code and errata. (I am honored to have been able to contribute quite a few errata to that list 😉). The final icing on the cake is that Sedgewick and Wayne will soon be teaching a two-part Algorithms course based off this book at Coursera!

Rating: 4/4