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Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

jeffe.cs.illinois.edu

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Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#61

Post by dominotw »

sohdas wrote: post #52
comeonseriously wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, you don't have to use this book. There are hundreds of books on algorithms, many of which have solutions for people who need them. Getting all pissy with the author because he doesn't provide them is sad and not neccessary.

I don't know, I think he made a very fair critique. Sure, there are hundreds of algorithms textbooks. But there are hundreds of anything. Anyone can make anything they want to, and they are subject to criticism for that.

"right thing to do" is not a fair critique.

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#63

Post by le-mark »

dkfjs wrote: post #49

Not proving solutions to textbooks seems to be a common theme in mathematics and theoretical computer science. It makes it difficult for those outside of the traditional classroom to learn the material. Instead textbook writers seem to have this adversarial approach against readers, thinking they’ll “cheat themselves” if they look up solutions or attempt to verify their work. Experts make mistakes, beginners would pr…

This x1000, I was/am a particularly dense student and the only way I learned was by working loads of problems repeatedly until the “tricks” became second nature. The worst are solutions manuals with hand wavey solutions.

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#64

Post by mpurham »

I remember spending hours sometimes trying to solve a single problem but I did not look up the solutions just worked my way through the problem sets.

Algorithms definitely helped me prove code without explicitly writing it

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#65

Post by Hiopl »

asicsp wrote: post #5

From https://jeffe.cs.illinois.edu/teaching/algorithms/hwex.html#... > Please do not ask me for solutions. With very rare exceptions, I will say no, even if you are an instructor. I recognize that my stance limits the utility of these materials, especially for self-learners, but I'm trying to optimize the learning experience of my own students at Illinois. The point of homework is not to solve that particular homewor…

I mean, he's aiming for his main demographic. For anybody who isn't a student of his, there is no honest feedback, because there's no feedback at all. What good is solving a problem if you never find out whether you made a mistake?

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#66

Post by chapium »

macintux wrote: post #55
dkarp wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They weren’t attacking the author. It’s a valid argument regardless of the cost of the book. Free doesn’t mean you can’t criticize anything.

There was an accusatory, hostile tone that I personally found off-putting and not worthy of an HN discussion. asicsp’s comment[1] was much more useful and neutral. 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26074429

Tone policing on a textual medium isn't helpful either.

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#67

Post by reasonabl_human »

jtokoph wrote: post #18
bfung wrote: post #15

Good ‘ole CS 373, had Erickson back in 2002 and it’s def. a defining course in CS at UIUC. The answers to a lot of these are now google-able; you’ll learn more by researching than being spoon fed the solution! Imagine those of us students back then when google wasn’t a verb yet trying to solve these problems!

All of the X73 classes were defining for me. Probably my favorite classes and ones that changed the way my brain works.

For someone out of the UIUC construct, does X73 mean various levels of algorithms courses? Could you elaborate on their titles or content?

I am looking to self-study for core CS content that I missed out on in school after being largely self-taught, and courses that change the way one’s brain works sound like the right ones to take.

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#68

Post by reasonabl_human »

Maksadbek wrote: post #19

I think there are more than enough books to learn algorithms now. But there are a very little amount of resources that teach how to use them to solve problems.

Do you have personal recommendations for books to use for self-study for base algos knowledge?

Re: Algorithms by Jeff Erickson

#69

Post by mperreux »

nickkell wrote: post #50

I'm a developer, but don't have the foggiest idea of how to prove something by induction. Is this the kind of book I should look at? Or is there something that should be taken as a prerequisite?

Former Illinois student here. There was another course called CS173 Discrete Structures that we took as a prereq to this class. You can find the textbook here http://mfleck.cs.illinois.edu/building-blocks/index.html with a chapter dedicated to induction
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