Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!SHUM.HUJI.AC.IL!hobbit From: hobbit@SHUM.HUJI.AC.IL (yoav gonen) Newsgroups: comp.edu Subject: Don't buy Manber's Message-ID: Date: 3 May 91 13:57:58 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: comp Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Lines: 29 If you are thinking on buying the book: "INTRODUCTION TO ALGORITHMS" - written by UDI MANBER - D o n 't d o i t!!!!!!! It is the worst book on algorithms I have ever seen - especially because it isn't including some of the most importent ones. Here are only some examples: 1. The chapter on Algebric and Numeric Algorithms is very short, and it isn't including, for instance ANY algorithm for polynomal division (there are some which take O(n logn)) or the Newton-Rapson algorithm which is being used a lot. 2. There are very important probability-algorithms which are missing. (Such as: Rabin's algorithm to find whether a given binary number is a prime or not; Solving the matching problem, using a probability-algorithm; The lemma of Shwartz and more.) 3. Very important algorithms, refering to Automats are missing. A better book is Ullman's - The design and Analysis of computer Algorithms but still, it is not good enough. Infact, I'm sorry to say that there isn't (at least - not in Israel) any book which really covers the entire algorithms-theory. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Yoav Gonen, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------