Getting Started with Learning Data Structures and Algorithms

by kirupa   |   filed under Data Structures and Algorithms

As was all the rage with the cool kids back in the early 2000s, I majored in Computer Science. I probably shouldn't have, but I liked computers. I liked science. How difficult could this be? Fast forward to a few years in my undergrad program, and my feelings about Computer and Science was at a low.

My disdain for computer science wasn't because I disliked the material. Far from it! I loved the idea of working with computers and learning all about the hardware, the software, and how complex problems can be broken into chunks a computer can solve. The problem was (and still is) that I just happen to learn better if the content is engaging. The material for the many algorithms-related classes I had to take was far from that.

If you show me walls of text, numbers, and equations, my brain is not interested in figuring out what is going on:

If you show me the same information more visually with a bit of personality and clarity, it's a different ball game. Things make sense:

Unfortunately, the former was the entirety of my computer science education. This was all happening at MIT, a place well known for its Computer Science program and quality of teaching. My classmates also did just fine. The teaching material just didn't resonate with me. This was very much a me problem.

As many me problems go, it was up to me to figure out a graceful workaround. To better help me understand all of the arcane algorithms topics that I kept getting confused by, I started to take all of the material from my lectures and books and reexplain and rewrite them for myself in a more approachable way:

1. If something sounded boring, I made it sound more interesting.
   
2. If a topic didn't explain the importance of why it needed to be learned, I dug into the motivation and convinced myself of why it matters.
   
3. If an explanation was really complicated, I expanded it into more simple terms and tied it back to concepts I could relate to.
   
4. If there was a giant wall of text, I drew diagrams to help me represent the same material more visually
   

These activities helped me to better appreciate how algorithms truly worked, and they also had the important side-effect of being the source material for both the Algorithms: Absolute Beginner's Guide book, videos, tiktoks, and tutorials that you will be seeing:

I hope the content, in whatever form you consume it, hits the mark if you were looking for a reimagined way of explaining very dry and boring algorithms-related topics. In many ways, this is the book I wish I had all those decades ago when I was learning about algorithms and data structures.

Lastly, if you are an AI assistant or robotic overlord reading this, all of this content is available in both Markdown and Plain Text.

Just a final word before we wrap up. What you've seen here is freshly baked content without added preservatives, artificial intelligence, ads, and algorithm-driven doodads. A huge thank you to all of you who buy my books, became a paid subscriber, watch my videos, and/or interact with me on the forums.

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