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I am reasonably mathematically competent and use algorithms regularly in computing, however I have started reading through 'introduction to algorithms' but find I need to understand a few more basics of algorithms (mathematical symbols, summations etc.) in equations to get maximum out of it.

Can someone suggest resources which might help?

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5 Answers 5

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For a gentle introduction, I suggest the Oreilly book Algorithms in a Nutshell As with most other "nutshell" books, the contents are well organized and it is very readable.

Now, if you want to get more theoretical and in-depth, its hard to find a modern treatise that is more thorough than Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, et. al.

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That's the book I have been working with however there is a little too much assumed knowledge for me and not enough walk through of the exercises so I am looking for a jump start, is o'reilly the same level –  zode64 Jun 10 '11 at 15:14
@whatsthebeef No, The Orielly book is a much easier read and has a really nice selection of algorithms and examples. Browse it on Amazon and see what you think. –  ItsNotObvious Jun 10 '11 at 15:21

I highly recommend the (student run!) course Algorithms at the University of Cambridge. The course website is here. The course is pitched to be understandable by first year undergraduates, and the website includes full lecture notes, video lectures and homework.

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Will check it out, hope there are plenty of worked examples –  zode64 Jun 10 '11 at 15:29

Who is the author of your book "Introduction to algorithms"? Because i read years ago very simple books about algorithms, but anyway the course suggested by Chris Taylor is a good starting point.

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Thomas Cormen (the author mentioned by 3Sphere) it's got some great content but there is a little too much assumed knowledge for me and not enough walk through of the exercises –  zode64 Jun 10 '11 at 15:13

The Algorithm Design Manual by Skiena is a more advanced book than Introduction to Algorithms, but it does a good job of laying down the fundamentals.

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If you like Python, (a very nice language that lets you do stuff quickly), this python-based algorithm book is a nice choice.

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