Top Algorithms books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Algorithms books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Algorithms

Understanding the concepts of Algorithms starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills

Data structures and algorithms are much more than abstract concepts. Mastering them enables you to write more efficient code that runs faster, which is particularly important for today’s web and mobile apps. If you last saw an algorithm in a university course or at a job interview, you’re missing out on the raw power algorithms can provide.

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Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions (Cracking the Interview & Career)

I am not a recruiter. I am a software engineer. And as such, I know what it's like to be asked to whip up brilliant algorithms on the spot and then write flawless code on a whiteboard. I've been through this as a candidate and as an interviewer.
Cracking the Coding Interview, 6th Edition is here to help you through this process, teaching you what you need to know and enabling you to perform…

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Algorithms

This book surveys the most important computer algorithms currently in use and provides a full treatment of data structures and algorithms for sorting, searching, graph processing, and string processing -- including fifty algorithms every programmer should know.

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Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition

A comprehensive update of the leading algorithms text, with new material on matchings in bipartite graphs, online algorithms, machine learning, and other topics. Some books on algorithms are rigorous but incomplete; others cover masses of material but lack rigor.

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Algorithms Illuminated

Algorithms Illuminated, Part 1 provides an introduction to and basic literacy in the following four topics. Asymptotic analysis and big-O notation. Asymptotic notation provides the basic vocabulary for discussing the design and analysis of algorithms.

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Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

An exploration of how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives to solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mind. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime?

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Additional Algorithms Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Algorithms, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Algorithms Unlocked

In Algorithms Unlocked, Thomas Cormen—coauthor of the leading college textbook on the subject—provides a general explanation, with limited mathematics, of how algorithms enable computers to solve problems. Readers will learn what computer algorithms are, how to describe them, and how to evaluate them.

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Elements of Programming Interviews

The book begins with a summary of the nontechnical aspects of interviewing, such as strategies for a great interview, common mistakes, perspectives from the other side of the table, tips on negotiating the best offer, and a guide to the best ways to use EPI. We also provide a summary of data structures, algorithms, and problem solving patterns.

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A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science: A virtual degree for the self-taught developer

Do you feel left out when other programmers talk about asymptotic bounds?
Have you failed a job interview because you don't know computer science?
Volume one covers the most frequently referenced topics, including:
- Algorithms and data structures
- Graphs
- Problem-solving techniques
- Complexity theory
The author, a senior developer at a major software company with a PhD…

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The Algorithm Design Manual

The reader-friendly Algorithm Design Manual provides straightforward access to combinatorial algorithms technology, stressing design over analysis. The first part, Practical Algorithm Design, provides accessible instruction on methods for designing and analyzing computer algorithms.

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Grokking Algorithms

Grokking Algorithms is a fully illustrated, friendly guide that teaches you how to apply common algorithms to the practical problems you face every day as a programmer. You'll start with sorting and searching and, as you build up your skills in thinking algorithmically, you'll tackle more complex concerns such as data compression and artificial intelligence. Each carefully presented example in…

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Introduction to Algorithms, 3rd Edition (Mit Press)

Some books on algorithms are rigorous but incomplete; others cover masses of material but lack rigor. Introduction to Algorithms uniquely combines rigor and comprehensiveness. The book covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers. Each chapter is relatively self-contained and can be used as a unit of study. The algorithms …

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