My journey mastering Data Structures and Algorithms, organized by topic.
Phase 1: Foundations & Syntax
- Programming Fundamentals (Control Flow, Variables)
- Modular Coding (Functions, Classes, Objects)
Phase 2: Data Structures (The Toolkit)
- Sequential Storage (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues)
- Hierarchical Data (Binary Trees, BST, Heaps)
- Network Structures (Graphs, Adjacency Lists/Matrices)
- Essential Operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
Phase 3: Navigation & Search
- Search Techniques (Linear Scan, Binary Search)
- Graph Exploration (BFS for Layers, DFS for Paths)
- Tree Traversal Patterns (In-order, Pre-order, Post-order)
Phase 4: Order & Sorting
- Elementary Sorts (Insertion, Selection, Bubble)
- Divide & Conquer Sorts (Merge, Quick, Shell)
- Linear Time Sorts (Radix, Counting, TimSort)
Phase 5: Algorithmic Logic
- Recursive Thinking (Base Cases, Call Stack)
- Backtracking Strategies (Pruning, Path Finding)
- Dynamic Programming (Top-Down Memoization, Bottom-Up Tabulation)
Phase 6: Optimization Strategies
- Two-Pointer Methods (Converging, Fast & Slow)
- Sliding Window Techniques (Fixed vs. Dynamic size)
- Pre-computation (Prefix & Suffix Sums)
Phase 7: Interview Mastery
- Efficiency Analysis (Big O, Space-Time Tradeoffs)
- Pattern Recognition & Problem Solving
- Mock Assessments & Whiteboarding
๐ป "Code speaks louder than words."