Tim Roughgarden is a Professor of Computer Science and (by courtesy) Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, where he has taught and researched algorithms since 2004. This book is the first of a four-part series based on his online algorithms courses that have been running regularly since 2012.

Algorithms are the heart and soul of computer science. Their applications range from network routing and computational genomics to public-key cryptography and machine learning. Studying algorithms can make you a better programmer, a clearer thinker, and a master of technical interviews. Algorithms Illuminated is an accessible introduction to the subject for anyone with at least a little programming experience. The exposition emphasizes the big picture and conceptual understanding over low-level implementation and mathematical details---like a transcript of what an expert algorithms tutor would say over a series of one-on-one lessons. Part 1 covers asymptotic analysis and big-O notation, divide-and-conquer algorithms and the master method, randomized algorithms, and several famous algorithms for sorting and selection.