Grokking Algorithms

Chapter 1. Introduction to Algorithms

In this chapter

• You get a foundation for the rest of the book.
• You write your first search algorithm (binary search).
• You learn how to talk about the running time of an algorithm (Big O notation).
• You’re introduced to a common technique for designing algorithms (recursion).

Introduction

An algorithm is a set of instructions for accomplishing a task. Every piece of code could be called an algorithm, but this book covers the more interesting bits. I chose the algorithms in this book for inclusion because they’re fast, or they solve interesting problems, or both. Here are some highlights:

• Chapter 1 talks ...