Ask HN: What's a great algorithms book?

8 points by kemiller ↗ HN
A web resource would do, too. I'm looking for an engaging read, and a tool for recognizing patterns, more than a complete dissertation on the subject.

6 comments

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To recognize patterns, a great resource is Steven Skiena's "Algorithm Design Manual."

After a few introductory/overview chapters, it launches into a dictionary of algorithms, organized by problem description. There are also pointers to implementations, but the focus is high-level descriptions of what sorts of algorithms for look for, and how to choose among them.

I'll second Skiena's work. It's amazing, pragmatic advice and an enjoyable read.
This looks like exactly what I want, thank you!