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Quick Data Structures
If you want to bring your programming skills to the next level, the most important thing you need is a good grasp of fundamental data structures. Proper choice of data structures is what distinguishes excellent programmers from merely competent ones.
If you are an experienced programmer, you use data structures—at least arrays—all the time. But you may not be familiar with hash tables, trees and binary trees, priority queues, directed and undirected graphs, and all the other data structures at your disposal.
A good choice of data structures will make your job simpler, not more complicated. Your code will be not only faster but also easier to understand and debug. There is no downside to using the right data structures for the purpose.
This
• Provides an understanding of the fundamental building blocks of data structures.
• Describes the construction and use of all common data structures.
• Explains the simple math required for the choice of efficient data structures.
• Gives you everything you need to choose data structures or devise appropriate new ones.
If you are an experienced programmer, you use data structures—at least arrays—all the time. But you may not be familiar with hash tables, trees and binary trees, priority queues, directed and undirected graphs, and all the other data structures at your disposal.
A good choice of data structures will make your job simpler, not more complicated. Your code will be not only faster but also easier to understand and debug. There is no downside to using the right data structures for the purpose.
This
• Provides an understanding of the fundamental building blocks of data structures.
• Describes the construction and use of all common data structures.
• Explains the simple math required for the choice of efficient data structures.
• Gives you everything you need to choose data structures or devise appropriate new ones.
170 pages, Hardcover
Published July 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 4, 2026
A decent intro to the topic. The text is generally quite clear and easy to understand, and I'd go 3.5 stars if that were an option.
You would need a larger book with more examples and better explanations if you really wanted to master the material. For example, the Big-O section (2.17) talks a bit about Big-Theta, but provides no example of the two values being different. And the dynamic programming section (13.5) has DP pseudo-code that includes the rather ridiculous step of "Store a very large coin count for M" which honestly is just another DP problem. Building up from zero, as one traditionally does, would avoid this whole issue.
I saw no credits/thanks for reviewers, which is likely the crux of the oversight. Dr. Dave clearly knows the subject inside and out, but some more reviewers might have smoothed out the edges.
You would need a larger book with more examples and better explanations if you really wanted to master the material. For example, the Big-O section (2.17) talks a bit about Big-Theta, but provides no example of the two values being different. And the dynamic programming section (13.5) has DP pseudo-code that includes the rather ridiculous step of "Store a very large coin count for M" which honestly is just another DP problem. Building up from zero, as one traditionally does, would avoid this whole issue.
I saw no credits/thanks for reviewers, which is likely the crux of the oversight. Dr. Dave clearly knows the subject inside and out, but some more reviewers might have smoothed out the edges.
Displaying 1 of 1 review