Ask HN: Best Course for Leetcode Questions?

58 points by lance_klusener 2 years ago

Hello Folks,

What is the best course for leetcode style questions?

Course requirements - 1. Walk thru of algorithms and data structures 2. Walk thru of patterns 3. Sample problem solving

Preferably need a live course to force me to sit thru the course duration.

torinmr 2 years ago

Princeton's COS 226 covered this topic quite well when I took it. It was a good intro to both algorithms and DS content, as well as practical skills for leetcode style questions.

You can check out the Syllabus for the course as taught at Princeton here[0], or take the Algorithms I and II courses on Coursera[1] which cover ~2/3 of the content but have video lectures.

[0]: https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/spring23/cos226... [1]: https://www.coursera.org/learn/algorithms-part1

DawsonBruce 2 years ago

I watched the MIT 6.006 Introduction to Algorithms course (0) while studying leetcode a couple years ago. I’d watch the lecture, take notes, and then find some related leetcode questions and solve them. I found it considerably beneficial to do the two in tandem and made some pretty significant progress with my understanding of data structures and algorithms. Hope this helps.

[0] https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUl4u3cNGP61Oq3tWYp6V_F-5...

nkzd 2 years ago

I've used AlgoExpert in the past. They thoroughly explain naive and optimal approaches to every problem. However, after I grasped the basics, I started practicing on my own using a Blind75 list.

justsomecoder 2 years ago

NeetCode has created a good website with a list of 150 practice questions that you can go through. The list contains links to his very explanatory walkthrough videos and code for (the solutions to) the problems. I'm not sure that you would get the best ROI from an online university course, but it might depend on your timeline (i.e. if you are actively preparing for an interview).

https://www.neetcode.io/

mech422 2 years ago

Not a course, but I find leetcode.com[0] a decent way to putz about and learn new languages. You can only write 'hello world' so many times, and often you don't want to write a whole program just to 'get a taste' of a new language. The leetcode (and advent of code) stuff seems a nice compromise.

0: https://leetcode.com/explore/

  • roland35 2 years ago

    Leetcode explore helped me pass a few coding rounds! I recommend taking one track at a time until it sinks in before moving to the next one.

adamhp 2 years ago

Frankly, LeetCode itself has pretty good guides on all of the information, that then use the problems as the "quiz". I found a pro subscription for a few months to be pretty worthwhile.

realalandonald 2 years ago

Lance, if you hadn't got me runout in THAT match, you wouldn't have had to go through all these leet code programming.

  • devnull3 2 years ago

    For folks who do did not get the reference, here is THAT runout:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxiyKWBPshg

    Not that watching this will greatly increase the understanding of the game who do not know cricket.. but still.

    (Basically the the guy in greens who was not batting simply did not run ... his is Alan Donald)

    • lance_klusener 2 years ago

      My apologies

      Want to avoid getting out with the leetcode and system design peice :(

rg111 2 years ago

Just watch the videos from Neetcode on YouTube.

nocobot 2 years ago

When I was in college I used interview cake a bit and enjoyed it. It’s free for students irrc.

In general I think most of the interview prep industry is kind of a grift.

password-234 2 years ago

cracking the code interview, learn the patterns and its mostly applicable to most questions