Algorithms For Dummies book cover

Algorithms For Dummies

Overview

Your secret weapon to understanding—and using!—one of the most powerful influences in the world today

From your Facebook News Feed to your most recent insurance premiums—even making toast!—algorithms play a role in virtually everything that happens in modern society and in your personal life. And while they can seem complicated from a distance, the reality is that, with a little help, anyone can understand—and even use—these powerful problem-solving tools!

In Algorithms For Dummies, you'll discover the basics of algorithms, including what they are, how they work, where you can find them (spoiler alert: everywhere!), who invented the most important ones in use today (a Greek philosopher is involved), and how to create them yourself.

You'll also find:

  • Dozens of graphs and charts that help you understand the inner workings of algorithms
  • Links to an online repository called GitHub for constant access to updated code
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to use Google Colaboratory, a zero-setup coding environment that runs right from your browser

Whether you're a curious internet user wondering how Google seems to always know the right answer to your question or a beginning computer science student looking for a head start on your next class, Algorithms For Dummies is the can't-miss resource you've been waiting for.

Your secret weapon to understanding—and using!—one of the most powerful influences in the world today

From your Facebook News Feed to your most recent insurance premiums—even making toast!—algorithms play a role in virtually everything that happens in modern society and in your personal life. And while they can seem complicated from a distance, the reality is that, with a little help, anyone can understand—and even use—these powerful problem-solving tools!

In Algorithms For Dummies, you'll discover the basics of algorithms, including what they are, how they work, where you can find them (spoiler alert: everywhere!), who invented the most important ones in use today (a Greek

philosopher is involved), and how to create them yourself.

You'll also find:

  • Dozens of graphs and charts that help you understand the inner workings of algorithms
  • Links to an online repository called GitHub for constant access to updated code
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to use Google Colaboratory, a zero-setup coding environment that runs right from your browser

Whether you're a curious internet user wondering how Google seems to always know the right answer to your question or a beginning computer science student looking for a head start on your next class, Algorithms For Dummies is the can't-miss resource you've been waiting for.

Algorithms For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Algorithms are fun! Algorithms are beautiful! Algorithms are even better than your favorite pastime! Well, perhaps not the last one. In fact, algorithms surround you in many ways you might not have thought about, and you use them every day to perform important tasks. However, you need to be able to use algorithms in a way that doesn’t involve becoming a mathematician. Programming languages make it possible to describe the steps used to create an algorithm, and some languages are better than others at performing this task so that people can understand it without becoming a computer or data scientists. Python makes using algorithms easier because it comes with a lot of built-in and extended support (through the use of packages, datasets, and other resources). With that in mind, this Cheat Sheet helps you access the most commonly needed tips for making your use of algorithms fast and easy.