Programming challenges
by Steven S. Skiena · first published 2003
70% recommend30% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A practical, problem-driven guide to algorithms built around programming contest challenges. It trains problem recognition and implementation and prepares readers for ICPC-style competitions.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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I personally learned from Skienna's other book Programming Challenges first (http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Challenges-Steven-S-Skiena...). Then when my knowledge had matured a bit, I was able to digest The Algorithm Design Manual a little better.
on “TopCoder: Algorithm Tutorials” ↗I don't have a good recommendation for your needs. However, there are a few books that might be close: 1. Programming Pearls by Jon Benley. 2. Programming Challenges by Steven Skiena. 3. Algorithmic puzzles by Levitin. The first two are mostly programming focus. I have not read the 3rd book, but I have a good idea what it is about (based on other books by Levitin);…
on “Algorithms [pdf]” ↗I highly recommend the book "Programming Challenges" by Steven Skiena, used in conjunction with UVA Online Judge at http://onlinejudge.org. Each challenge takes the form of a word problem. The solution can be coded in a few different languages and uploaded…
on “Ask HN: Where to find programming challenges for sharpening algorithmic skills?” ↗"Programming Challenges"[0] by Skiena maybe? "Practical application" of algorithms and data structure knowledge is mostly about recognizing which type of problem you're dealing with, and then implementing the simplest algorithm…
on “Algorithmic Interviewing – Optimizing to Hire the Wrong Developer” ↗…and yes, the two I got yesterday are no longer free. Wondering now if it was just a misconfiguration on their part, and did I do something illegal by downloading. Btw, I got "All of Statistics" and "Programming Challenges" by Skiena. Both were HN recommendations (thanks HN!)
on “Ask HN: Which books did you download from the Springer Bonanza?” ↗…like me, you want to be able to use algorithms as a tool to solve real problems. To practice that, I have a few suggestions, if I may be so bold. Pick up a copy of the Algorithm Design Manual and Programming Challenges, by Steven Skiena. Programming Challenges will introduce you to the ACM-ICPC repository of programming problems, which is a great low-pressure area to build some top-notch skill in algorithms. You'll…
on “Question: What are the best books on algorithms?” ↗I have graduated before this course existed, but I did take the Data Structures and Algorithms with Skiena, and trained for the ICPC using his Programming Challenges book. Skiena's books and instruction are a delight, and our team went on to ACM ICPC Finals in Sweden. I can highly recommend the course and the book it is based on. Note that the links to online judges…
on “CSE 392 – Programming Challenges (2012)” ↗North American competitions usually allow C/C++/Java and sometimes Pascal. Good books on these are: * Programming Challenges by Skiena and Revilla * Algorithm Design Manual by Skiena * Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen The biggest trouble of these competitions is being able to recognize what you're trying to solve. If…
on “Teen Mathletes Do Battle at Algorithm Olympics” ↗Actually, there is at least one book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Programming-Challenges-Contest-Train...
on “Teen Mathletes Do Battle at Algorithm Olympics” ↗…as a topic is that there is no lack of great resources to learn from! And even better, a large portion of them are freely available online (in forms of lecture notes, or entire books, video lectures, programming challenges with online judging, etc). In addition to what others have mentioned, here are some example resources you might prefer for a beginner-intermediate level intro: 1. (free online) Algorithms by Dasgupta,…
on “Ask HN: Looking for a book on algorithms and data structures” ↗Just a beginner too, but I do have one suggestion. Steven Skiena has a series of lectures on YouTube [1] for a course he taught called Programming Challenges. I only just started watching the videos so I don't know how useful they are in the long run but the course itself is all about how to get better at competitive programming. He also has a book called…
on “New Al Zimmermann's Programming Contest – Reversing Nearness” ↗