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.

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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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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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 in a Nutshell

Algorithms in a Nutshell describes a large number of existing algorithms for solving a variety of problems, and helps you select and implement the right algorithm for your needs -- with just enough math to let you understand and analyze algorithm performance.

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Coding Interview Patterns: Nail Your Next Coding Interview

Coding interviews are tough, and they're only getting tougher, typically demanding months of preparation. What we all want is a way to master algorithms and data structures without having to spend countless hours sifting through endless, unfocussed resources. Introducing "Coding Interview Patterns," your complete guide to mastering the key patterns needed to ace your next coding interview.

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Data Structures and Algorithms Made Easy: Data Structures and Algorithmic Puzzles

Data Structures And Algorithms Made Easy: Data Structures and Algorithmic Puzzles" is a book that offers solutions to complex data structures and algorithms. There are multiple solutions for each problem and the book is coded in C/C++, it comes handy as an interview and exam guide for computer scientists. It can be used as a reference manual by those readers in the computer science industry. T…

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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.

Purely Functional Data Structures

Most books on data structures assume an imperative language such as C or C++. However, data structures for these languages do not always translate well to functional languages such as Standard ML, Haskell, or Scheme. This book describes data structures from the point of view of functional languages, with examples, and presents design techniques that allow programmers to develop their own funct…

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Grokking Algorithms: An Illustrated Guide for Programmers and Other Curious People

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.

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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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Introduction to Algorithms

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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Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule Our World

In this fascinating, frightening book, Christopher Steiner tells the story of how algorithms took over—and shows why the “bot revolution” is about to spill into every aspect of our lives, often silently, without our knowledge.

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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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This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

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