Algorithm Problem Solving

I have put up many algorithm problems on this blog and some of them took me a hell lot of time to solve. I thought to release some of the important reading material which I had accumulated (but never used ) over the years. In this post I will put up material which is more mathematical oriented and useful for background reading.

• This is a classic set of 10 standard problems on Dynamic Programming. Make sure you’ve solved each one of them.
• This is a recipe for the Computational Geometry enthusiasts. A good read to get started into the subject.
• This is a nice small tutorial on Generating Functions. Generating functions are very handy in solving mathematically oriented programming problems.
• This is the best resource on Function Pointers. Everything, from amateur to pro are discussed very nicely.
• This is a concise introduction to Number Theory for Computer Science.
• This is a nice book on Introduction to Computer Algorithms. People have blindfolded faith in CLRS, I would suggest to look into this book once. Worth a read.
• This is a collection of notes on NP-completeness and Algorithm Analysis and Complexity. Nice to read for theorists.
• This is an awesum book on Programming Contests preparation guide.
• This is the Programming Pearls. No need to introduce this book .

  Now here is a list of 3 books which are written by some of the most prominent people of this century and are of interest to non-readers (like me).

• This is a classic book again by Feynman which can make you realise how joyous our findings can be to us.
• This is the famous book by Hardy. “A Mathematicians Apology” is considered to be a classic read.
• This is a book by one of the most prominent figures on 20th century Albert Einstein. The World as he saw.

Hope you find joy in going through these books.

Why did you take computer science

Funny things happen in life everyday. In my campus interview, the guy who was taking my technical interview was very impressed with me, so he promptly asked me Why did you take up Computer Science. I have already said it in an earlier post that sometimes our mind works too fast for us to believe it. Same thing happened to me after he asked that question, I tried to recall why did I take up computer science and after analysing my entire life and all my encounters with computers prior to my joining my college, I could not find one motivating instance which drove me crazy about computers. The only answer I could manage to think was because on my counseling date everybody around me was filling the Computer Science of the same college and even my dad asked me to do so. But this would not impress my interviewer, I figured, so I transformed the answer into I was interested in computers from childhood Actually I first saw a computer when I was in class 8th and touched it in class 10th and in 11th and 12th only heard music and saw movies on it. I even said I was always into mathematics and solving programming problems alongwith finding efficient solutions. This was somewhat true but I was never a problem solving person, in fact I hated mathematics and always scored the least in it. Besides, I have a strict policy Conserve the brain . I always used to say to my friends, ” .. yaar kuch bhi karunga par zindagi main computer science kabhi nhi padhunga.. kaisa boor subject hai yaar… aur sala bas computer k samne baithe rho …ch**tia ki tarah..“. But now I had to somehow make this guy to believe that I was born to be a programmer and that given a choice between a hottie and a laptop, I would die for a laptop. Funny na .. we find chameleons attractive and amazing in childhood but as we grow we develop into a chameleon ourselves. I was laughing inside while I gave that answer but I am a nice actor, I put up a good show and even he believed that I was made for computers and programming was my religion. Mission Successful.

Hope the one who interviewed me never visits this post