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I honestly think leetcode is a pretty terrible way to learn how to do algorithm problems, especially without a formal education in algorithms. The large test ca
by dhanna 5y ago
I honestly think leetcode is a pretty terrible way to learn how to do algorithm problems, especially without a formal education in algorithms. The large test case bank is the most useful feature. The discussion and solutions shared on the site tends to be lacking in breadth and depth.
I was happier to learn algorithms properly via the algorithms Coursera course taught by Sedgewick. The next time I need to go through the interview loop, I’ll probably start with Programming Interviews Exposed and supplement it with some other algorithm books as needed.
- jeffreyrogers 5y agoYou need both. The theory is important for seeing what class of problem you're trying to solve and to give you an idea of what general approaches might work. The actual problems are needed to get you skilled in actually applying the theory and for learning how to adapt the basic algorithms/techniques under different conditions.
- graerg 5y agoThis is so on the money. Leetcode/hackerrank are one form of practice, but they're not comprehensive. They're like a practice putting green or a driving range. Very useful practice, but they teach you how to swing the club not how to golf.
- MattGaiser 5y agoExcept all that interviews test is the driving range part.
- graerg 5y agoThis hasn't really been true in my experience. It's one component, definitely, but in general people are also looking to get a sense of how you handle yourself and communicate when you're stuck on something. Most people will agree that the point of interviews isn't to get the right answer, but to show that you can reason about problems and communicate well.