Most of the answers are covering data structures and algorithms but I have a different direction. If you're doing VR/rendering, you should also look at linear algebra if you don't know it already. Specifically, make sure you're really comfortable with matrix multiplication, matrix inversion, change of basis vectors, cross products, etc.
Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
141–150 of 190 posts
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#142This is self serving, but I wrote the Classic Computer Science Problems series for developers like you—folks who work in software but don't have a CS education. It is a broad survey, using code instead of theory. It's broad not deep. They're not textbooks:
I also recommend Grokking Algorithms by the same publisher as an introductory book if you don't want a textbook.
None of these go into graphics at all though, so they won't help you with rendering or VR.
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#143for what you are doing, you can probably learn more from reading id software’s open source code bases. e.g. the doom code base.
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#144I always recommend Robert Sedgwick's series: https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Str...
You'll also get a chance to learn C++ as you go through it.
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#145I'm a bottom-up learner. To take bottom-up "fundamentals of CS" to an extreme (without venturing too far into electrical engineering):
First, work your way through Kernighan & Ritchie and do EVERY exercise.
Then read Hennessy & Patterson (Computer Architecture).
When you're done, you'll understand exactly how a computer executes instructions, and you'll have an abstract mental map from C code to machine code.
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#146As a self taught dev myself, check out my comment here:
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#147SICP
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
This was the book I used. It is more accessible yet interestingly some comments seem to characterize it as "beginner friendly" in a way that suggests it is less canonical. Make no mistake, if you learn the material in Sedgewick well you'd be light years ahead of 99% of your peers. It likewise provides depth and foundations for things like leetcode, thus far the majority of leetcode problems I've done were toy version…
Interesting, I was working through sedgewick course on Coursera, I hit a bit of a wall, it seemed like one of the assignments was just really badly explained. However lots of other students were fine so it's probably me. I considered getting the grokking booking instead. What's the main difference between sedgewick and the grok algo book?
Do you remember which assignment? I did the first one, percolation and hooo boy, that was a trip. The problem statement buries the key library that you use for everything at the bottom of the page. Did get it eventually though.
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#149"Foundations of Computer Science" by Aho and Ullman might fit your bill. Its focus is more on the concepts and principles of computing rather than math-centric CS theory. http://infolab.stanford.edu/~ullman/focs.html Another nontraditional intro to computing worth mentioning is "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs" by Abelson and Sussman(s). It teaches programming concepts using the Lisp/Scheme language…
I second the recommendation for "Foundations of Computer Science." (and for the other books as well, but wanted to highlight it.) For a second or third book, consider 'Algorithm Design Manual', Skiena. I find it more approachable than the MIT Intro to Algorithms. Also, 'The C Programming Language' remains one of my favorites for a pragmatic approach to learning how to say things to a computer, a great balance to lear…
Both editions of The C Programming Language are on archive.org, by the way.
This is the second edition:
https://ia802802.us.archive.org/15/items/The_C_Programming_L...
The Aho book also looks to have gone out of print.
Re: Ask HN: I'm looking for a good book on the fundamentals of CS
#150The Impostor's Handbook https://bigmachine.io/products/the-imposters-handbook/ has been helpful for me. Been using it to supplement learning from a coding bootcamp.