There are many books on data structures and algorithms, including some with useful libraries of C functions. Mastering Algorithms with C offers you a unique combination of theoretical background and working code. With robust solutions for everyday programming tasks, this book avoids the abstract style of most classic data structures and algorithms texts, but still provides all of the information you need to understand the purpose and use of common programming techniques.
Implementations, as well as interesting, real-world examples of each data structure and algorithm, are included.
Using both a programming style and a writing style that are exceptionally clean, Kyle Loudon shows you how to use such essential data structures as lists, stacks, queues, sets, trees, heaps, priority queues, and graphs. He explains how to use algorithms for sorting, searching, numerical analysis, data compression, data encryption, common graph problems, and computational geometry. And he describes the relative efficiency of all implementations. The compression and encryption chapters not only give you working code for reasonably efficient solutions, they offer explanations of concepts in an approachable manner for people who never have had the time or expertise to study them in depth.
Anyone with a basic understanding of the C language can use this book. In order to provide maintainable and extendible code, an extra level of abstraction (such as pointers to functions) is used in examples where appropriate. Understanding that these techniques may be unfamiliar to some programmers, Loudon explains them clearly in the introductory chapters.
Contents include:
- Pointers
- Recursion
- Analysis of algorithms
- Data structures (lists, stacks, queues, sets, hash tables, trees, heaps, priority queues, graphs)
- Sorting and searching
- Numerical methods
- Data compression
- Data encryption
- Graph algorithms
- Geometric algorithms
Kyle Loudon is a software engineer at Jeppesen Dataplan in Los Gatos, California, where he leads the graphical interface development group in developing flight planning software used by commercial airlines, corporate flight departments, and other facets of general aviation. Before Jeppesen, Kyle worked as a system programmer for IBM. Kyle's technical interests at this time include operating systems, networking, and human-computer interaction. Kyle attended Purdue University, where in 1992 he received a B.S. in computer science and a minor in French, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. While at Purdue, he coordinated and taught a course for three years in the Department of Computer Science. During this time he also wrote his first book, Understanding Computers, a practical and conceptual introduction to computers. Currently he is patiently pursuing an advanced degree while continuing to work in Silicon Valley's software industry. Aside from computers, Kyle has enjoyed playing and teaching tennis for a number of years. He also enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and on occasion, golf with friends on courses that favor a sometimes overactive slice. In addition, Kyle enjoys various forms of theater, great food, and several styles of music and art as a wishful but hopeless pianist and artist himself. Kyle found his present position at Jeppesen after he started flying airplanes in 1992. Currently he is an active pilot holding a commercial pilot certificate with the FAA.
