How to Rock an Algorithms Interview

Re:How to Rock an Algorithms Interview by mcantor on Monday September 26, 2011 @03:42PM (#3040415)

Thank you for the Wikipedia suggestion; I hadn't really considered using it as a learning resource because I've had bad experiences trying that with other fields. (For example, I think Wikipedia is an abhorrent place to learn mathematics, though it clearly functions well as a reference for people who already know what the hell is going on.) Perhaps being already fluent in the fundamental concepts of programming and computer science will make the Wikipedia articles on data structures & algorithms more useful from a learning perspective.

Tinkering with the source code for $language is also a great idea! That meshes with my empirical experience that the best way to learn is to "play". These days, it's rare for me to write code that isn't related to some specific personal project or business goal; maybe bringing back a bit of the "play" aspect is one of the keys to improving fluency.

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Re:How to Rock an Algorithms Interview by ohyes on Monday September 26, 2011 @03:56PM (#3040472)

To be clear, Wikipedia is really just a jumping off point. You can only put so much information on a topic into a Wikipedia article.

You really start learning when you read the references, and have 5 or 6 browser windows open with web searches to things that either interested you and weren't referenced, or to terms that you didn't understand.

>That meshes with my empirical experience that the best way to learn is to "play".

It has actually been shown in educational studies that this is one of the best ways to learn; so social science seems to match up with your experience as well.

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