Algorithms For Dummies

Discover how algorithms shape and impact our digital world

All data, big or small, starts with algorithms. Algorithms are mathematical equations that determine what we see—based on our likes, dislikes, queries, views, interests, relationships, and more—online. They are, in a sense, the electronic gatekeepers to our digital, as well as our physical, world. This book demystifies the subject of algorithms so you can understand how important they are business and scientific decision making.

Algorithms for Dummies is a clear and concise primer for everyday people who are interested in algorithms and how they impact our digital lives. Based on the fact that we already live in a world where algorithms are behind most of the technology we use, this book offers eye-opening information on the pervasiveness and importance of this mathematical science—how it plays out in our everyday digestion of news and entertainment, as well as in its influence on our social interactions and consumerism. Readers even learn how to program an algorithm using Python!

• Become well-versed in the major areas comprising algorithms
• Examine the incredible history behind algorithms
• Get familiar with real-world applications of problem-solving procedures
• Experience hands-on development of an algorithm from start to finish with Python

If you have a nagging curiosity about why an ad for that hammock you checked out on Amazon is appearing on your Facebook page, you’ll find Algorithm for Dummies to be an enlightening introduction to this integral realm of math, science, and business.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Getting Started
Chapter 1: Introducing Algorithms
Chapter 2: Considering Algorithm Design
Chapter 3: Using Python to Work with Algorithms
Chapter 4: Introducing Python for Algorithm Programming
Chapter 5: Performing Essential Data Manipulations Using Python

Part 2: Understanding the Need to Sort and Search
Chapter 6: Structuring Data
Chapter 7: Arranging and Searching Data

Part 3: Exploring the World of Graphs
Chapter 8: Understanding Graph Basics
Chapter 9: Reconnecting the Dots
Chapter 10: Discovering Graph Secrets
Chapter 11: Getting the Right Web page

Part 4: Struggling with Big Data
Chapter 12: Managing Big Data
Chapter 13: Parallelizing Operations
Chapter 14: Compressing Data

Part 5: Challenging Difficult Problems
Chapter 15: Working with Greedy Algorithms
Chapter 16: Relying on Dynamic Programming
Chapter 17: Using Randomized Algorithms
Chapter 18: Performing Local Search
Chapter 19: Employing Linear Programming
Chapter 20: Considering Heuristics

Part 6: The Part of Tens
Chapter 21: Ten Algorithms That Are Changing the World
Chapter 22: Ten Algorithmic Problems Yet to Solve