P R E F A C E
These books are not just for programmers and computer science
students. Everyone who uses a computer wants it to run faster or to
solve larger problems. The algorithms that we consider represent a
body of knowledge developed during the last 50 years that is the basis
for the efficient use of the computer for a broad variety of applications.
From N -body simulation problems in physics to genetic-sequencing
problems in molecular biology, the basic methods described here have
become essential in scientific research; and from database systems to
Internet search engines, they have become essential parts of modern
software systems. As the scope of computer applications becomes more
widespread, so grows the impact of basic algorithms. The goal of this
book is to serve as a resource so that students and professionals can
know and make intelligent use of these fundamental algorithms as the
need arises in whatever computer application they might undertake.
Scope
This book, Algorithms in Java, Third Edition, Parts 1-4, contains 16
chapters grouped into four major parts: fundamentals, data structures,
sorting, and searching. The descriptions here are intended to give
readers an understanding of the basic properties of as broad a range
of fundamental algorithms as possible. The algorithms described here
have found widespread use for years, and represent an essential body
of knowledge for both the practicing programmer and the computer-
science student. The second volume is devoted to graph algorithms,
and the third consists of four additional parts that cover strings, geom-
etry, and advanced topics. My primary goal in developing these books
has been to bring together fundamental methods from these areas, to
provide access to the best methods known for solving problems by
computer.
You will most appreciate the material here if you have had one
or two previous courses in computer science or have had equivalent
programming experience: one course in programming in a high-level
language such as Java, C, or C
++
, and perhaps another course that
teaches fundamental concepts of programming systems. This book
is thus intended for anyone conversant with a modern programming
language and with the basic features of modern computer systems.
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