15 Best Data Structures and Algorithms Books
By Stanley Udegbunam || Updated 28 Nov, 2022
A Survey Across 58,700 Readers
This Guide features:
- Best pick by readers across the globe
- Beginner-friendly, intermediate and advanced book tags.
- Buyers Review
- Explanatory snippets for each book.
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In this modern era, where there are a lot of learning resources and tutorial videos available freely online, books are still known to contain hidden knowledge and a solid learning companion.
We recently conducted a survey across 58,700 readers across the globe to determine the best books for learning data structures and algorithms (DSA).
This survey was channeled to software engineers, programmers, computer science students and tech enthusiasts.
These are people whose opinions matter in this space.
We looked at their background. We looked at their experience level. We even looked at their favorite programming language.
From a broad list of 140 books, we narrowed it down to 15 best books on data structures and algorithms that are worth your time and investment.
And today, I’m going to share these 15 books and our findings with you.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Readers Choice #1
COMPUTER SCIENCE DISTILLED
Learn the art of solving computational problems. Author: Wladston Ferriera Filho Votes: 5,593🔥 Experience Level: Beginners📚 Language-Specific: No (General🌎)
The term “Data Structures and Algorithms” may sound like a complex phrase to beginners or anyone just getting started in software development.
But don’t get carried away. Underlying this technical phrase is nothing but computer science.
“Computer Science Distilled” is a beginner’s overview of the most important computer science concepts. All presented in a short, easy and enjoyable form.
This makes it a great starting point for anyone trying to learn data structures and algorithms.
It starts with the basics like ideas, logic, counting and probability.
It further introduces you to iteration, recursion, brute force, backtracking, dynamic programming, sorting and many more.
These are huge topics in data structures and algorithms but this book lightly explains them in a way that won’t overwhelm beginners.
Snapshot of computer science distilled (chapter 1)
This book aims not to make you an expert in any of these topics but rather to open your mind to the world of data structures and algorithms (DSA).
It simplifies the topics with colored diagrams and has a good sense of humor, making it fun to read.
Above all, it’s light-weighted and if you’re a student, you’ll find this handy since it can be easily thrown to bag.
Elite features: basic concepts, DSA insights, explanatory diagrams, fun read and light-weighted.
Readers Choice #2
GROKKING ALGORITHMS
An illustrated guide for programmers and other curious people. Author: Aditya Y. Bhargava Votes: 5,128🔥 Experience Level: Beginner📚 Language-Specific: No (General)
Another lightweight introductory book widely loved by many developers for its simplicity and unique approach.
In it, you’ll learn how to apply common algorithms to the practical programming problems you face every day.
You’ll start with tasks like sorting and searching.
As you build up your skills, you’ll tackle more complex problems like data compression and artificial intelligence.
Grokking Algorithms has over 400 unique images that go nicely with the text and help you visualize how data structures and algorithms work.
Elite features: introductory guide, illustrative diagrams, fun-read and light-weighted.
Readers Choice #3
ALGORITHMS UNLOCKED
Author: Thomas H. Cormen Votes: 4,731🔥 Experience Level: Beginner📚 Language-Specific: No (General)
This book offers an engagingly written guide to the basics of computer algorithms.
This book offers an engagingly written guide to the basics of computer algorithms. In Algorithms Unlocked, Thomas Cormen 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.
Elite features: Nicely explained, problem-solving approach and interactive writing style.
Readers Choice #4
A COMMON SENSE GUIDE TO DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS
Author: Jay Wengrow
Votes: 4,220🔥
Experience Level: Beginners📚
Language-Specific: No (General)
This book takes a practical approach to data structures and algorithms, with techniques and real-world scenarios that you can use in your daily production code.
Graphics and examples make these computer science concepts understandable and relevant.
You can use these techniques with any language; examples in the book are given in JavaScript, Python, and Ruby.
This book teaches you how to:
- Use Big O notation, the primary tool for evaluating algorithms, to measure and articulate the efficiency of your code and modify your algorithm to make it faster.
- Find out how your choice of arrays, linked lists, and hash tables can dramatically affect the code you write.
- Use recursion to solve tricky problems and create algorithms that run exponentially faster than the alternatives.
Readers Choice #5
ALGORITHMS
Author: Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne
Votes: 3,928🔥
Experience Level: Beginners📚
Language-Specific: Java
A leading textbook used worldwide by graduate and undergraduate students and designed explicitly for Java developers.
This book surveys the most important computer algorithms currently in use and analyzes the most useful algorithms and data structures.
It takes care of the object-oriented programming style specific to Java, a nicely written book that teaches more about implementation and how the OOPs concept works.
Winning Strength
Apart from purchasing this book, the author also provides additional learning resources that make studying algorithms enjoyable.
These include:
- For teachers:
- Free lecture videos
- Lecture slides (in Keynote format) are available upon request for instructors who adopt the textbook.
- For students:
- Complete online walk-through guide for setting up an IntelliJ-based Java programming environment for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.
- Free lecture videos
- Free Coursera Massive Open Online Courses on Algorithms, Part I and Algorithms, Part II conducted by both authors.
If you’re a student, teacher, or visitor of this site intending to purchase a copy, you can access all additional learning resources attached to this book here.
Together with the additional resources, the book will take you from a novice to a confident developer.
Elite features: in-depth algorithm analysis, valuable additional resources, JAVA specific, OOP overview.
Readers Choice #6
INTRODUCTION TO ALGORITHMS
Authors: Thomas Cormen, Charles Leiserson, Ronald Rivest and Clifford Stein Votes: 3,451🔥 Experience Level: Intermediate📚 Language-Specific: No (General)
This book is often referred to as the bible of algorithms and popularly called CLRS (initials of the authors’ surname).
It covers a broad range of algorithms in depth with accessible design methods.
An intermediate-level book contains more technical details like mathematical analysis and shows you the exact implementation details and a real understanding of algorithms.
Don’t get carried away; you don’t need to know everything in this book as it’s often used as reference material.
Introduction to Algorithms is a widely used text in universities worldwide and the standard reference for professionals.
If you’re new to data structures and algorithms, I’ll suggest you purchase the beginner-friendly books already listed above.
Once you’re familiar with the basic concepts, then you can get this.
This book is loved by many developers worldwide because it explains the concepts using pseudo-codes and its language-independent.
Elite features: Design features, mathematical analysis, real-life implementation and reference material.
Readers Choice #7
THE ALGORITHM DESIGN MANUAL
Author: Steven S. Skeina
Votes: 2,857🔥
Experience Level: Intermediate📚
Language-Specific: C, C++, and Java
This book addresses the main difficulties of solving problems and provides straightforward access to combinatorial algorithm technology, stressing design over analysis.
The first part, “Techniques”, provides accessible instruction on methods for designing and analyzing computer algorithms.
The second part, “Resources”, is intended for browsing and reference.
It comprises of the catalog of algorithmic resources, implementations and an extensive bibliography.
It also contains a unique catalog identifying the 75 algorithmic problems that often arise in practice, leading the reader down the right path to solve them.
According to readers, another solid strength of this book is its appendix section given at the end of the book.
This section contains a detailed description of very advanced algorithms.
Do consider adding this book to your shelf if you want to be specifically good at data structures and algorithms.
Regardless of the uniqueness of the content, there’ve been complaints of the kindle/e-book edition not been appropriately formatted.
So I suggest you go with other versions of this book like the hardcover when making a purchase.
Elite features: detailed descriptions, comprehensive practical techniques and resourceful appendix.
Update: The new edition (3rd Edition) of The Algorithm Design Manual contains over 100 new problems, including programming challenge problems from LeetCode and Hackerrank.
Readers Choice #8
ALGORITHM DESIGN
Authors: Jon Kleinberg and Éva Tardos
Votes: 2,606🔥
Experience Level: Intermediate📚
Language-Specific: No (General)
This book is more about the algorithm design for developers already familiar with the basic algorithm.
It’s not mathematically heavy and the definitions are given in simple English terms.
The text encourages an understanding of the algorithm design process and an appreciation of the role of algorithms in the broader field of computer science.
However, the book is made of blocks of texts with very few diagrams.
If you are comfortable with a text that goes straight to the point with lesser illustrations, this book is for you.
DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS MADE EASY
Author: Narasimha Karumanchi Votes: 2,005🔥 Experience Level: Intermediate📚 Language-Specific: Yes (C Lang.)
This book explains every single data structure alongside its implementation.
It further tells you how to build logic for a particular solution and introduces object-oriented programming concepts.
Covers critical concepts like Linked lists, Stack, Queues, Trees, Sorting, Searching, Hashing, etc.
One major highlight of this book is that it tells you how best to approach programming problems and this is something that everyone diving into the world of software engineering should be aware of.
However, it doesn’t go deep into knowledge sharing/explanations but it’s packed with numerous code samples and exercises.
Elite features: straight to the point, problem-solving approach and intuitive learning.
Readers Choice #10
DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS IN JAVA
Authors: Robert Lafore Votes: 1,864🔥 Experience Level: Beginners📚 Language-Specific: JAVA
This is a great Data Structures introductory book for Java developers.
Besides clear and simple example programs, the author includes a workshop as a small demonstration program executable on a Web browser.
The programs demonstrate in graphical form what data structures look like and how they operate.
We recommend the second edition and we’ll link to it below.
In this edition, the programs are rewritten to improve operation and clarify the algorithms.
The example programs are also revised to work with the latest version of the Java JDK.
Additional Educational Supplement for JAVA Instructors
Suggested solutions to the programming projects found at the end of each chapter are made available to instructors at recognized educational institutions.
Readers Choice #11
DATA STRUCTURES USING C
Authors: Reema Thareja Votes: 1,531🔥 Experience Level: Intermediate📚 Language-Specific: No (General)
It begins with a thorough overview of C programming concepts, followed by an introduction of different data structures and methods to analyze the complexity of different algorithms.
It then connects these concepts and applies them to the study of various data structures such as arrays, strings, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, heaps, and graphs.
Each chapter includes various end-chapter exercises in the form of MCQs with answers, review questions, and programming exercises to help readers test their knowledge.
Readers Choice #12
DATA STRUCTURES USING C and C++
Authors: Yedidyah Langsam, Moshe J. Augenstein and Aaron M. Tenenbaum Votes: 1,120🔥 Experience Level: Intermediate📚 Language-Specific: Yes, C and C++
Are you knowledgeable in both C and C++ and wondering if you can get a book on data structures that encompasses both languages?
Then consider adding this to your cart.
It shows how to use the C language for advanced programming and the advanced features of C++.
It features a wealth of tested and debugged working programs in C and C++.
Only a few known books have done a good job in teaching data structures effectively in both languages, so this is a great book to have.
Readers Choice #13
MASTERING ALGORITHMS WITH C
Authors: Kyle Loudon Votes: 1,006🔥 Experience Level: Intermediate to Advance📚 Language-Specific: C
Another excellent resource for C programmers.
Mastering Algorithms with C is a no-nonsense guide to the most common algorithms needed by real-world developers.
It presents the most tried-and-true algorithms available today in an efficient format.
Not beginner-friendly text, it’s written for intermediate and advanced C programmers.
The C functions that implement these algorithms are written in a straightforward and readable manner.
You can use this sample code directly or adapt it into your C/C++ code.
Besides introducing each algorithm, they describe how each is used in computing today, along with a short demo application.
Questions and answers on how the algorithms operate and references to other algorithms are all included at the end of each section (both in the book and from other sources).
Readers who are short on time will enjoy the intelligent selection and concise presentation used here.
Readers Choice #14
DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHM ANALYSIS IN C++
Authors: Mark Allen Weiss Votes: 986🔥 Experience Level: Intermediate to Advance📚 Language-Specific: C++
This is an advanced algorithms book that bridges the gap between traditional CS2 and Algorithms Analysis courses.
The author, Mark Allen, is a great writer and a known authority in software development.
He explains the concepts of DSA in C++ so well and you might just end up falling in love with his writing style.
In the world of C++, this is arguably one of the most popular books on data structures and algorithms.
Readers Choice #15
ALGORITHMS TO LIVE BY
Authors: Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths Votes: 852🔥 Experience Level: Beginners📚 Language-Specific: General
Algorithms to Live By takes you on a journey of eleven ideas from computer science that we, knowingly or not, use in our lives every day.
This book explains how things are optimized in the world of computer science.
It further tackles common decision-making problems and illuminates the workings of the human mind.
“A remarkable book… A solid, research-based book that’s applicable to real life. The algorithms the authors discuss are, in fact, more applicable to real-life problems than I’d have ever predicted…. It’s well worth the time to find a copy of Algorithms to Live By and dig deeper.”
―Forbes
Closing Remark on
15 Books Data Structures and Algorithms Books
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