When was the last time you took a week to brush up on the most basic of algorithms and your understanding of data structures? As we get into the rhythm of using our most beloved frameworks, language features and libraries sometimes we do lose touch with the most basic building blocks of computer science.
‘So what?’ You may ask. When you are designing and building software that will be used by tens of millions of people, it is important to understand the trade-offs. A more efficient algorithm can make the difference between a sub-second and 3 second response time on your mobile app or web site.
Taking a few hours every quarter or six months to brush up on the most basic building blocks such as DFS, BFS, sorting and checksum algorithms, hash tables, binary trees and tries can help us look at day to day challenges under a new light and come up with alternative solutions.
Can you fit 3 hours of brush-up time into your schedule next quarter?