A quick crash tour of C++ basics, for those with previous object oriented programming experience.

An introduction to data structures and algorithms from a practical, hardware-first perspective. Learn how the physical layout of your data in memory impacts performance.

Data Structures & Algorithms

Understand how our code interacts with physical hardware. Learn about virtual memory, the stack vs. heap, cache lines, and prefetching.

CPUs, Memory, and Locality

Learn how input size affects execution speed and the most common class of algorithms.

Polynomial Algorithms

Working with massive datasets using divide and conquer strategies, and the the required trade-offs.

Logarithmic and Linearithmic Algorithms

Learn why some problems are impossible to solve exactly and how we can use approximations like Monte Carlo simulations to cheat.

NP-Hard and Approximations

Whirlwind Tour of C++ Basics

This course introduces algorithm analysis with a practical focus on how CPUs execute code and fetch data. Topics include growth rates, locality, and why memory layout matters.

If you're completely new to programming or want a thorough introduction, we recommend starting with our introductory course:

Practical Algorithm Analysis