

Detailed review of MIT's OCW course "Introduction to Algorithms", Part I: Analysis of Algorithms and Asymptotic Notation - pkrumins
http://www.catonmat.net/blog/mit-introduction-to-algorithms-part-one/

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michael_dorfman
I've watched this course online, and it's a great one.

A few random comments:

* It is a good idea to download the course materials from [http://ocw.mit.edu/ans15436/ZipForEndUsers/6/6-046JFall-2005...](http://ocw.mit.edu/ans15436/ZipForEndUsers/6/6-046JFall-2005/6-046JFall-2005.zip)

* The video lectures can be downloaded if you hack the URLs a bit. Full instructions at: [http://amazingstuffs.blogspot.com/2007/10/download-data-stru...](http://amazingstuffs.blogspot.com/2007/10/download-data-structures-video.html), but it doesn't bode well if you can't figure it out for yourself

* The math gets significantly less heavy after the first few lectures. If you get lost, plow ahead and revisit the first few lectures after you've gotten further.

* Erik Demaine rocks. He went straight to the top of my list of "computer scientists I'd like to have a beer with sometime..."

* I found the discussions of Red-Black Trees and the graph theory "trilogy" to be especially enjoyable, but that could just be me.

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pchristensen
For anyone else interested in downloading MIT lectures, I wrote a way to do it
without using realplayer.

[http://www.pchristensen.com/blog/articles/ripping-and-
encodi...](http://www.pchristensen.com/blog/articles/ripping-and-encoding-
streaming-rm-or-how-i-defeated-realplayer/)

~~~
sammyo
Just download the files direct:

[http://mit-ocw-thai.eng.chula.ac.th/OcwWeb/Global/OCWHelp/he...](http://mit-
ocw-thai.eng.chula.ac.th/OcwWeb/Global/OCWHelp/help.htm#26)

~~~
pchristensen
That still leaves you with a .rm file. Also, my method works on .rm streams
that don't offer you a download option like MIT does.

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comatose_kid
Very nice, especially the idea to share your lecture notes. The best way to
really learn a subject is to teach others...

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sri
there is lots of content (mit open courseware, lectures from many universities
in iTunes, free books being released online) available for self-learners.

is there a "virtual university/classroom" website that helps different people
to study together?

something simple & free -- like craigslist.

~~~
jauco
<http://www.lecturefox.com/>

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j2d2
I'd like to hear more about the projects this guy works on. I recall he wrote
a command line tool for navigating HN.

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aswanson
Great quote from his blog: "There are only two industries in which customers
are called 'users' ".

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lpgauth
I watched these for one of my classes but I sould of just bought the book
instead.

