Dive Into Algorithms

Introduction

Algorithms are everywhere. You have probably executed a few already today. In this book, you will read about dozens of algorithms: some simple, some complex, some famous, some unknown, all interesting, and all worth learning. The first algorithm of the book is also the most delicious—it generates a berry granola parfait, and it’s shown in its entirety in Figure 1. You may be accustomed to calling this type of algorithm a “recipe,” but it fits Donald Knuth’s definition of an algorithm: a finite set of rules that gives a sequence of operations for solving a specific type of problem.

Figure 1: An algorithm: a finite set of rules ...