Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms in Python, Volume 1

Many programmers assume data structures and algorithms are pure theory. This book shows how they can improve the code you write every day. It uses Big O notation to measure and explain how efficient your code is, so you can change an algorithm to make it run far faster.

You will see how choosing between arrays, linked lists and hash tables can strongly affect your code, and how recursion can solve tricky problems with algorithms that outpace the alternatives. Later chapters move on to advanced structures such as binary trees and graphs, which help scale specialized applications like social networks and mapping software.

The author explains this complex subject in simple language with clear diagrams, so it is accessible whatever your background. The approach is practical, with techniques and real-world scenarios you can use in production code, which matters especially for today's web and mobile apps. Every chapter ends with practice exercises, and detailed solutions are included. The code examples, exercises and solutions are all written in Python.