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Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future

The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers

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Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future

Written by: John MacCormick
Narrated by: Quentin Cooper
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About this listen

This audiobook narrated by Quentin Cooper explains the tricks behind nine revolutionary algorithms that power our computers and smartphones
Every day, we use our computers to perform remarkable feats. A simple web search picks out a handful of relevant needles from the world's biggest haystack. Uploading a photo to Facebook transmits millions of pieces of information over numerous error-prone network links, yet somehow a perfect copy of the photo arrives intact. Without even knowing it, we use public-key cryptography to transmit secret information like credit card numbers, and we use digital signatures to verify the identity of the websites we visit. How do our computers perform these tasks with such ease? John MacCormick answers this question in language anyone can understand, using vivid examples to explain the fundamental tricks behind nine computer algorithms that power our PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

©2020 Princeton University Press (P)2020 Princeton University Press Computer Science Programming
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Critic Reviews

"Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future offers a great way to find out what computer science is really about. In this very readable book, MacCormick (a computer scientist at Dickinson College) shows how a collection of sets of intangible instructions invented since the 1940s has led to monumental changes in all our lives. . . . MacCormick provides a taste of why we computer scientists get so excited about algorithms--for their utility, of course, but also for their beauty and elegance."—Paul Curzon, Science (Paul Curzon)
"MacCormick's book is an easy-to-read and enjoyable guide to some key algorithms. Above all, it conveys a sense of wonder--at the beautiful science, rather than the technical feats, that makes computers do their magic."—Andreas Trabesinger, Nature Physics (Andreas Trabesinger)
Honorable Mention for the 2012 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Computing; Information Sciences, Association of American Publishers
"Excellent. . . . MacCormick clearly believes that to be a responsible driver of current technology, you need to understand what is going on at the fundamental level. In addition, he wants us to take delight in the elegance of the solutions that have been developed to address complex questions of the security, integrity and availability of data and digital services. . . . This is an unusually well-written text suitable for anyone with an interest in how today's information systems really work."—John Gilbey, Times Higher Education (John Gilbey)
"Most people know little and care less about how, say, electronic payments are kept secure or how movies are crammed onto DVDs. But as MacCormick shows, they're the result of often stunning ingenuity and creativity. . . . For insights into the thinking that can turn gigabytes into gigabucks, start here."—Robert Matthews, BBC Focus (Robert Matthews)
"MacCormick leaves the reader with a sense of the engine that powers the networked world. And at its best, Nine Algorithms enables you to recognise the real world and begin to see those algorithms alive and kicking all around us."—Kevin Slavin, New Scientist (Kevin Slavin)
"One of the best things about Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future is that it is of interest to computer professionals and innocent bystanders (non-professionals) alike. The author doesn't attempt to 'baffle us with science' or blow us away with his mathematical prowess. Instead, he employs simple analogies that we can all understand. His use of mixing colored paints to explain the machinations of public key cryptography is, frankly, brilliant. . . . I highly recommend this book as a very enjoyable read that will be of interest to anyone who would like to understand more about the way in which the computer systems we use every day perform their magic."—Clive Maxfield, EE Times (Clive Maxfield)
All stars
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The book is well prepared for the audio format. The algorithms are explained well. The choice of the algorithms is good too.

Awesome audiobook

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This book gives what it prommised. Very wonderful selection of algorithms and they were explained in a way which can be understood even in Audiobook format. But as this are some very ingenious ideas sometimes we need to rewind ⏪ it to grasp the correct implementation.

Amazing!!! Most Informative and Entertaining

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Would recommend to Beginners in CS or anyone who's interested in real life algorithms.

Simple and Good

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Loved it, very informative and interesting. Also narrated very well. I was totally fascinated by the reasoning behind the algorithms

Great book

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