You're correct, it's better to know the algorithm on paper before starting to program it. An extreme example of that is MySQL's InnoDB. It was written by 4 mat

You're correct, it's better to know the algorithm on paper before starting to program it. An extreme example of that is MySQL's InnoDB. It was written by 4 math PhDs who focused on rigor and correctness, which is why InnoDB is one of the most outstanding codebases in Open Source. The Internet basically runs on InnoDB. Having said that, programming experience will make you more logical over time, which can help with analysis.