Best Algorithm Books for Programmers in 2024

If you are an aspiring programmer and you need some good algorithm books to teach you about all the most important algorithms in computer programming today, then you have come to the right place.

Right now, we’re going to take a very quick look at some of the best algorithm books for programmers that the market has to offer. These are just going to be quick overviews, because each one is so different that it is hard to compare them with each other.

Best Algorithm Books: Reviews

1. The Algorithm Design Manual

What you get here is a super user and reader-friendly manual that is going to provide you with all of the information that you need about combinatorial algorithm technology. The first section of this book provides you with easy instructions on the various methods at your disposal for analyzing and designing computer algorithms.

There is then also a second part that teaches you all about reference and browsing, with a comprised catalog of algorithmic resources, implementations, and an extensive bibliography. This edition features new and expanded coverage of all of the randomized algorithms out there: divide and conquer, approximation algorithms, quantum computing, and more.

What’s also pretty cool is that this manual comes complete with full online support for lecturers. At the same time, it also comes complete with full color illustrations and illustrated code to help clarify very difficult concepts. Furthermore, it comes complete with plenty of stories to help relate to real-world applications.

Included are over 100 different problems to solve, including a few different programming challenge problems. It also comes complete with a few additional learning tools, such as job interview problems, take home lessons, and more. The bottom line here is that if you need to learn how to design your own algorithms, this is one of the best texts in computer science to consider.

2. Introduction to Algorithms

If you are a beginner computer programmer who really has no experience on this front, then this book, Introduction to Algorithms, is definitely something to keep an eye on.

What needs to be said about many other algorithm books is that many are incomplete and rigorous, with others being complete but not having any rigor. Well, what you get here is an algorithm book that is both comprehensive and full of rigor.

It covers many different algorithms in an in-depth manner, yet also makes designing and analysis very accessible and to all levels of readers and programmers. There are many different self-contained chapters and algorithms that come in pseudocode.

What really stands out about this particular algorithm book as is that it is designed for people who have no experience on this front. It comes complete with very in-depth yet simple explanations of many different concepts, as well as many different exercises and problems for you to follow.

If you are a beginner who is just getting into the world of programming, this is probably one of the best algorithm books that we recommend getting.

3. Grokking Algorithms: An Illustrated Guide for Programmers and Other Curious People

Here we have another very simple algorithm book that is all about teaching you exactly how to apply most common algorithms to practical problems that you might face in your everyday life as a programmer.

The book starts by teaching you all about sorting and searching skills, and as your algorithmic thinking skills increase, you’ll start tackling some of the more complex concerns, such as artificial intelligence and data compression.

What is really cool is that this is a very user-friendly and beginner-friendly guide that is designed for people who really don’t know much about programming. There are plenty of examples that are present presented within this book, each of which come complete with extremely helpful diagrams and annotated code samples.

When it comes down to it, this might be one of the most user-friendly and beginner-friendly books out there. Even better is the fact that this book is said to be quite fun and entertaining, not just super dry and boring. Inside the book, there are plenty of covers search, sort, and graphing algorithms, complete with over 400 super detailed pictures and detailed walkthroughs.

You will also get information about the performance tradeoffs between different algorithms, as well as plenty of different Python code samples. Between the 10 chapters included in this algorithm book, you should get a great introduction to the world of algorithms.

4. Easy Learning Data Structures & Algorithms C++: Graphic Data Structures & Algorithms

Here we have the book that is designed to make it very easy to learn all about algorithms and data structures. Keep in mind that this book is coded in C++, and it actually comes in as a very handy exam guide and interview guide for aspiring computer scientists.

What is really cool is that this book illustrates a number of different problems that you might be faced with as a computer programmer, with each problem complete with a multitude of possible solutions.

What is also really nice is that all of the data structures and codes are illustrated using very simple diagrams and examples, so everybody should be able to understand with ease. However, all of the important features of the C++ language are also illustrated by complete and in-depth programming examples.

You also get picture examples of important concepts whenever you need, which helps to facilitate easier understanding. The bottom line here is that if you need to learn the C++ programming language, and you are a beginner, then this is by far one of the best books for you to start with.

5. Algorithms (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)

Here we have a book that is an effective and accessible introduction to the world of algorithms. One of the focuses that this book has is explaining what algorithms are, not just how they work. There are many different examples from many different application areas from computer programming.

Just some of the application areas included here include machine learning, tournament scheduling, DNA sequencing, and more. What is nice about this particular book is that it offers an introduction to algorithms that is very easy for non-specialist readers to understand. What is also nice is that the mathematics are kept to a minimum, so you don’t have to worry about too many numbers.

There are then three main application areas covered, including searching, graphs, and sorting. There are then larger scale applications presented. This isn’t exactly one of the easiest algorithm books to understand, but it’s also not really difficult.

6. 40 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know

What you get here is a very concise yet detailed guide on the most fundamental algorithms around. You’re going to learn everything you need to know to design a variety of algorithms that can solve complex problems. You’ll also start becoming very familiar with deep learning techniques and neural networks.

You will also learn how to choose the right data structures for optimal implementation. Included is information about existing data structures and algorithms that can be found in the Python language. Furthermore, there are sections about how to implement graphing solutions for fraud detection and how to work with machine learning algorithms.

You can then even learn how to predict the weather using learning algorithms. If you are someone who wants to learn how to solve problems and write efficient code, then this book is something that you definitely want to check out. The fact that mostly everything here is illustrated with visual examples is a big bonus.

7. Data Structures & Algorithms in Python

What we have here is a very practical introduction to algorithms and data structures for any programmer who wants to be able to write efficient software. This book is all about allowing you to understand how algorithms and data structures operate. Moreover, you’ll learn exactly how to apply these things to the Python programming language and how to scale your code to handle huge data challenges.

This is a great book to consider because the authors really like focusing on real world examples and they help convey important ideas with very interactive and intuitive visualizations. Moreover, the math here is very limited in complexity and you’re told exactly what you need to know to improve your performance.

Through the book, you are given examples of binary trees, linked lists, recursions, sorting, stacks, arrays, cues, and more, and all of these things are shown to you with clear visual illustrations and code examples.

Even if you don’t have any experience coding, you should be able to understand these examples. It also comes complete with review questions, programming projects, team exercises and individual exercises to help you practice. If you want to do more than just learn how to write code, then this is absolutely one of the best algorithm books that you need to get yourself.

Conclusion

If you need a good starting point, then we think that The Algorithm Design Manual is a good place to start.

With that being said, computer programming is very diverse, so which book you get really depends on the exact type of algorithms that you want to start with, especially in relation to the exact computer programming language that you are using.

Therefore, making a recommendation here is a bit difficult because what book works best for you might not work best for someone else.