# Re: Computer Science Math - For the Uninitiated

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-computer-science-math-for-the-uninitiated/92059>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [April 15, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-computer-science-math-for-the-uninitiated/92059 "2007-04-15T15:06:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-computer-science-math-for-the-uninitiated/92059/1 "2007-04-15T15:06:23Z")

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Dear Bryan,

maybe you’ll find it helpful to have a look at the algorithms described  
in  
Wikipedia,  
e.g. , \_[http://en.wikipedia.org/Bubble\_sort\_](http://en.wikipedia.org/Bubble_sort_)  
([http://en.wikipedia.org/Bubble\_sort](http://en.wikipedia.org/Bubble_sort)) .

You’ll find a description of how the algorithm works, in plain English,  
and  
some  
pseudocode, using much of the notation you find so unfamiliar.

For more encyclopedic requirements, there are the books:

Algorithms, by Robert Sedgewick,

and The Art of Computer Programming, by Donald Knuth , 3 vols ( an  
absolute  
classic),  
Combinatorial Optimization, by Alexander Schrijver, 3 vols or one CD  
(very  
impressive also),

Best regards,

Axel

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-computer-science-math-for-the-uninitiated/92059/2 "2007-04-15T16:27:49Z")

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- removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid, 15.04.2007 15:05:

> Algorithms, by Robert Sedgewick,

Are you serious about this? “Algorithms” is the Pascal edition. One of

- Algorithms in C
- Algorithms in C++
- Algorithms in Java

seems a better choice to me. They are all by Robert Sedgewick.

Josef ‘Jupp’ Schugt

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-computer-science-math-for-the-uninitiated/92059/3 "2007-04-15T16:49:55Z")

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There’s a book, MASTERING ALGORITHMS WITH PERL, that I’ve used in the  
past to refresh my memory on some basic algorithms from my college  
CompSci days. It’s a very easy to read and understand book, and will  
take you through all sorts of algorithms, including parsing trees,  
doing sorts, etc. Obviously, it’s done in Perl, but that’s not all  
that different from Ruby, really.

-Augie