Algorithms are the backbone of computer science and software engineering. In 2026, with AI-driven development, quantum computing, and massive-scale distributed systems reshaping the industry, understanding algorithmic thinking is more valuable than ever.
Companies still test algorithmic problem-solving in technical interviews, and engineers who master algorithm design principles can build more efficient, scalable, and reliable systems regardless of the programming language or framework in use.
This book, compiled from the Wikibooks community, offers a practical introduction to the design and analysis of algorithms. It covers the fundamental techniques that every developer should know, from divide and conquer to dynamic programming, with clear explanations and code examples.
About the book
Algorithms is a collaborative textbook that teaches the essential techniques for designing and analyzing algorithms. The book takes a methodical approach: it starts with the basics of algorithmic efficiency and gradually introduces the core paradigms used to solve computational problems.
Each chapter presents a technique, explains when and why to use it, and walks through concrete examples with pseudocode.
The book assumes you already know a programming language and have basic familiarity with data structures like arrays, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs. It is best suited for undergraduate students, self-taught programmers, and professionals who want to strengthen their understanding of fundamental algorithm design.
What you will learn
- How to analyze algorithm complexity using asymptotic notation
- Divide and conquer strategies for sorting, searching, and more
- Randomized algorithms and their applications
- Backtracking techniques for constraint satisfaction problems
- Dynamic programming for optimization problems
- Greedy algorithms for scheduling and graph problems
- Hill climbing and network flow algorithms
Table of contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Mathematical Background
- 3. Divide and Conquer
- 4. Randomization
- 5. Backtracking
- 6. Dynamic Programming
- 7. Greedy Algorithms
- 8. Hill Climbing
- 9. Ada Implementation
Book details
- Title: Algorithms
- Author(s): Wikibooks (Collaborative)
- Publication year: 2013
- Publisher: Collaborative (Wikibooks)
- Pages: 90
- PDF size: 1.41 MB
- Estimated reading time: ~2 h 15 min
- Level: Intermediate
- Main category: Programming
- Subcategory: Algorithms
- Language: English
- License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
More books in: Algorithms, Programming
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