What Are Must-know Algorithms for Coding Interviews?
When preparing for coding interviews, understanding essential algorithms is crucial for success. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook often focus on problem-solving skills, which heavily rely on algorithms. This article will explore some of the must-know algorithms for coding interviews, helping you to ace your next technical interview.
Table of Contents
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
 Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now  | |
 Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
 Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
 A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
- Sorting Algorithms
- Searching Algorithms
- Graph Algorithms
- Dynamic Programming
- Greedy Algorithms
- Resources
Sorting Algorithms
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now | |
| Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
| Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
| A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
| 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
Sorting algorithms are fundamental and frequently appear in coding interviews. Key algorithms include:
- Quick Sort: A divide-and-conquer algorithm that is efficient on average but has a worst-case time complexity of O(n^2). It’s often preferred due to its in-place sorting capability.
- Merge Sort: A stable sort with O(n log n) complexity. It’s useful when you need a guaranteed performance regardless of input distribution.
- Bubble Sort: While not the most efficient (O(n^2) complexity), understanding it is useful for educational purposes and simpler interview questions.
Searching Algorithms
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now | |
| Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
| Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
| A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
| 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
Searching algorithms enable finding specific elements within data structures. Important ones to know include:
- Binary Search: Used on sorted arrays, with a time complexity of O(log n). It’s optimal for scenarios requiring efficient search operations.
- Depth-First Search (DFS) and Breadth-First Search (BFS): Foundational graph traversal methods that are essential for solving problems involving trees and graphs.
Graph Algorithms
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now | |
| Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
| Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
| A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
| 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
Graphs are a part of many complex problems, making understanding these algorithms necessary:
- Dijkstra’s Algorithm: Used to find the shortest path between nodes in a graph, especially with weighted edges.
- Kruskal’s and Prim’s Algorithms: Helpful for making minimum spanning trees in a network, useful in network optimization problems.
Dynamic Programming
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now | |
| Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
| Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
| A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
| 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
Dynamic programming is a method for solving complex problems by breaking them into subproblems. Important concepts are:
- Memoization: Caching results of expensive function calls and reusing them when the same inputs occur again.
- Fibonacci Sequence: Classic example that demonstrates how dynamic programming efficiently calculates sequence terms.
- Knapsack Problem: Illustrates optimization techniques and efficiency improvements through this approach.
Greedy Algorithms
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now | |
| Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
| Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
| A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
| 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
These algorithms build up a solution piece by piece, choosing the next piece that offers the most immediate benefit. Must-knows are:
- Greedy Method: Used in problems like activity selection or the fractional knapsack.
- Huffman Coding: An algorithm for data compression that uses greedy methods to assign variable-length codes to input characters.
Resources
Best Programming Algorithms Book to Buy in 2025
| Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grokking Algorithms, Second Edition | Buy It Now | |
| Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition | - Updated content with cutting-edge algorithms and techniques. - Clear explanations and engaging examples for better comprehension. - Essential resource for students and professionals in computer science. | Buy It Now |
| Algorithms (4th Edition) | Buy It Now | |
| A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms, Second Edition: Level Up Your Core Programming Skills | Buy It Now | |
| 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know: Tackle computer science challenges with classic to modern algorithms in machine learning, software design, data systems, and cryptography | Buy It Now |
To further enhance your coding skills, especially in Python, consider these resources:
- Running pytest with Python Plugin: A guide for setting up and running pytest efficiently.
- Linux PowerShell Python Env Setup: Steps to activate Python environments within Linux using PowerShell.
- Heatmap Generation in Python: Learn how to create dynamic heatmaps to visualize data effectively.
In summary, mastering these fundamental algorithms will significantly aid in your technical interview preparation. Remember to practice consistently, understand the underlying concepts, and apply algorithms to solve real-world problems. Happy coding!
