Algorithms Specialization

Learn To Think Like A Computer Scientist. Master the fundamentals of the design and analysis of algorithms.

About This Specialization

Algorithms are the heart of computer science, and the subject has countless practical applications as well as intellectual depth. This specialization is an introduction to algorithms for learners with at least a little programming experience. The specialization is rigorous but emphasizes the big picture and conceptual understanding over low-level implementation and mathematical details. After completing this specialization, you will be well-positioned to ace your technical interviews and speak fluently about algorithms with other programmers and computer scientists. About the instructor: Tim Roughgarden has been a professor in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University since 2004. He has taught and published extensively on the subject of algorithms and their applications.

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4 courses

Follow the suggested order or choose your own.

Projects

Designed to help you practice and apply the skills you learn.

Certificates

Highlight your new skills on your resume or LinkedIn.

Projects Overview

Learners will practice and master the fundamentals of algorithms through several types of assessments. Every week, there is a multiple choice quiz to test your understanding of the most important concepts. There are also weekly programming assignments, where you implement one of the algorithms covered in lecture in a programming language of your choosing. Each course concludes with a multiple-choice final exam.

Courses

Intermediate Specialization.: Some related experience required.

COURSE 1
Divide and Conquer, Sorting and Searching, and Randomized Algorithms
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 4-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
The primary topics in this part of the specialization are: asymptotic ("Big-oh") notation, sorting and searching, divide and conquer (master method, integer and matrix multiplication, closest pair), and randomized algorithms (QuickSort, con
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 2
Graph Search, Shortest Paths, and Data Structures
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 4-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
The primary topics in this part of the specialization are: data structures (heaps, balanced search trees, hash tables, bloom filters), graph primitives (applications of breadth-first and depth-first search, connectivity, shortest paths), a
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 3
Greedy Algorithms, Minimum Spanning Trees, and Dynamic Programming
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 4-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
The primary topics in this part of the specialization are: greedy algorithms (scheduling, minimum spanning trees, clustering, Huffman codes) and dynamic programming (knapsack, sequence alignment, op
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.
COURSE 4
Shortest Paths Revisited, NP-Complete Problems and What To Do About Them
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 4-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
The primary topics in this part of the specialization are: shortest paths (Bellman-Ford, Floyd-Warshall, Johnson), NP-completeness and what it means for the algorithm designer, and strategies for coping with computationally intractable problems (ana
You can choose to take this course only. Learn more.

Creators

Stanford University is one of the world's leading teaching and research universities. Since its opening in 1891, Stanford has been dedicated to finding solutions to big challenges and to preparing students for leadership in a complex world.
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is an American private research university located in Stanford, California on an 8,180-acre (3,310 ha) campus near Palo Alto, California, United States.

Tim Roughgarden
Professor

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