
Algorithms and data structures
by Niklaus Wirth · first published 1986
20mentions
8recommended by
17HN commenters
2008–2026first – last mentioned
47% recommend47% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
A concise introduction to algorithms and data structures, presented in the Pascal era with working programs. It serves as a foundational text for learning programming and compiler-level thinking.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…bit out of fashion, maybe because they were written in the "wrong" languages, and maybe because they were TOO concise in today's world of shovelware books. Wirth is the Strunk & White of CS writers): "Algorithms and Data Structures" by Niklaus Wirth "Compiler Construction" by Niklaus Wirth This book might be the one that impressed me most in my undergraduate studies, although I can't say I've done much with what I read there: "Parallel…
on “About 6.002x” ↗I got a lot of value out of “Algorithms and Data Structures for Massive Datasets” (https://www.manning.com/books/algorithms-and-data-structures...)
on “Data Structures for Data-Intensive Applications [pdf] (2023)” ↗…Should I Switch From Turbo Pascal to Turbo Modula-2? The million dollar question. More seriously, I love Pascal and similar. My first two books were Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs (Pascal) and Algorithms and Data Structures (Modula 2), both by Nicklaus Wirth.
on “If only Borland had stuck with Turbo Modula-2 for CP/M (2013)” ↗Also from Wirth: Algorithms and Data Structures http://www-old.oberon.ethz.ch/WirthPubl/AD.pdf
on “Niklaus Wirth: Compiler Construction (Addison Wesley book)” ↗…http://acm.timus.ru/Default.aspx?locale=en -- not a bad place to start Good books include monographies about algorithms. In Russia, the most popular books on the subject are: * Introduction to Algorithms (Cormen) * Algorithms and Data Structures (Wirth) * Algorithms [in C++] (Sedgewick) Don Knuth also has remarkable works but they're somewhat more into proofs and math.
on “Teen Mathletes Do Battle at Algorithm Olympics” ↗…excellent and remarkable books. Just quickly browsing, I found the following essential books missing: * In algorithms: - Aho, Hopcroft, Ullman: The Design and Analysis of Algorithms. - Wirth: Algorithms and Data Structures. * In Compilers: - Wirth: Compiler Construction. - Grune, Bal, Jacobs, Cerial: Modern Compiler Design. - Muchnick: Advanced Compiler Design and Implementation. * In Lambda calculus:…
on “Technical Papers Every Programmer Should Read (At Least Twice)” ↗…about Go, the language is quite modular in Mesa tradition. Given Oberon's influence in Go's design[1], maybe you will find these books interesting, From http://www.inf.ethz.ch/personal/wirth/ check "Algorithms and Data Structures", "Project Oberon", "Compiler Construction". From http://ssw.jku.at/Research/Books/ check Object-Oriented Programming in Oberon-2.
on “Building C Projects” ↗I learned it back in the 1980s from "Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs" by Niklaus Wirth. There's a more recent edition available: "Algorithms and Data Structures". https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1921125
on “Ask HN: What are some good resources for learning Algorithms and Data Structures?” ↗A few ones: "Algorithms and Data Structures" from Niklaus Wirth. "Introduction to Algorithms, 3rd Edition" from Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein. "The Garbage Collection Handbook: The Art of Automatic Memory…
on “Ask HN: What language-agnostic programming books should I read?” ↗[3] Algorithms and Data Structures by Nicklaus Wirth https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Data-Structures-Niklaus-Wi...
on “Ask HN: Beginner Programmer: Haskell Book or SICP?” ↗I bought the "Algorithms and Data Structures for Massive Datasets" book recently, haven't had a chance to read it yet. "Massive" datasets should automatically imply using (mostly) on-disk data structures... Edit: add link: https://www.manning.com/books/algorithms-and-data-structures...
on “Ask HN: Books on designing disk-optimized data structures?” ↗…found and I recommended to a lot of people who reached out to me. The order I will probably recommend is the following 1. Programming: Beyond the basics 2. Computer Systems 3. Operating Systems 4. Algorithms and Data Structures 5. Computer Networks This is going to take time but it will be worth your time. For discrete Math I sincerely recommend you to take a look at this book "Discrete Mathematics with Applications by Susanna…
on “Ask HN: Book recommendations for CS fundamentals for a self-taught programmer?” ↗…just like code with unhelpful variable names? Or is it really a different kettle of fish. I did well in maths at school... I just hated it. Trying to make sense of the mathematical notation in Wirth's 'Algorithms and Data Structures' reminds me why I hated it.
on “Hundreds of math and science educational videos” ↗Do you think Nicholas Wirth's Algorithms and Data Structures is still relevant ? Should I study it ? I have an old copy
on “Ask HN: How do you read programming books?” ↗Not true, otherwise Wirth would have had an hard time to write "Algorithms and Data Structures".
on “The Go Programming Language by Brian W. Kernighan, Alan Donovan” ↗