Algorithms

[mattnenterprise]

I am new to algorithms. I was wonder of a good book or website to learn algorithms.

[Arce]

Uh.

What?

[dandymcgee]

Uh.

What?

"Algorithms" is about as generic as "Computers".

You need to go into far more detail about what sort of algorithms you need and what you're trying to use them for (AI, pathfinding, collision detection, your math homework?).

[sparda]

No actually, this is a valid question. I took an algorithms class not so long ago, so such a school study is certainly well defined and specific. I recommend books by Knuth; but since you're looking for a introduction (Knuth is pretty hardcore), I'd say buy this book instead: McGraw Hill - Introduction To Algorithms, 2nd Edition.

[MarauderIIC]

I don't remember what book I had for my Algorithm Design course, but in your searches you may throw in the word "design".
Actually I'm not sure that I even had one. Maybe we just used wikipedia.

[avansc]

imo learning algorithms without a specific application will not only be very hard, but very useless as well.

[MarauderIIC]

Mmm... learning algorithms to solve, for instance, various problems related to graphs, have quite a few uses. And problems that can be reduced to such are hard to recognize unless you know the algorithm, just because knowing an algorithm teaches you what they solve.

[Falco Girgis]

I'm going to have to agree with avansc. Learning "algorithms" without an application is stupid. In school you are taught with examples and scenarios involving data structures, linked lists, and other objectives. If you are just looking for a good read, it would be dry and horrible reading.

What kind of algorithm do you want? Sorting? Any specific task? Pick the task then google it, there should be tons of articles on whatever you want.

[sparda]

I'll have to agree with Mar here. It is true that, blatantly, algorithms in a general sense seems to not have "application," but that notion is really subjective, in my opinion. It takes a working knowledge of the algorithm, in addition to the problem at hand, in order to have ample application. And one cannot simply pick up an algorithm and pretend to be fully competent from a reference at the mere time of need; especially, if its application is vital.

Can you imagine if everyone thought that you should not pursue a study with application!? Perhaps Doom would have never been released. Before John Carmack's genius insight, BSD trees where plastered in obscure, esoteric CS books, with seldom application. Of course, in Carmack's case, we don't know if he had prior knowledge of the algorithm before Doom. Knowing Carmack's genius though, I'd rather think that he knew about the algorithm way before he needed to use it.