The utility of google rises exponentially with your pre-exsisting knowledge (at the low end of existing knowledge). If you know nothing about algorithms, then y

The utility of google rises exponentially with your pre-exsisting knowledge (at the low end of existing knowledge). If you know nothing about algorithms, then you can still look up and implement, say, a red-black tree. However, if you run into a problem that is simmilar, but not identical to, the problem that a red-black tree solves, you will have a difficult time adapting the red-black tree to your problem. If, however, you have a strong basis in algorithms, but still no pre-existing knowledge on the red-black tree specifically, then you will be in a better posistion to adapt or optimise it for your particular use case. Not to mention have a better intuition in what to search for in the first place, or who to structure the rest of you code to play nice with an algorithm that is a good fit.