The hottest Algorithms Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

[Solution]Problem 54:Multiply Strings[Google]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 02 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Coding Software Engineering Math Algorithms
  1. The problem discussed involves multiplying two non-negative integers represented as strings without using built-in libraries or converting them directly to integers. This approach is used to prevent overflow.
  2. Understanding the process of multiplication and breaking it down into individual steps is crucial in tackling problems like this. It helps in figuring out the next steps and finding a path forward.
  3. Consider unique approaches, such as examining how computers encode characters and utilizing this knowledge to work around constraints. Building a strong foundation in software engineering fundamentals is beneficial for problem-solving.

AGI will be made of heterogeneous components

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Algorithms AI safety AI Policy AI Governance
  1. AGI will be made of heterogeneous components, combining different types of DNN blocks, classical algorithms, and key LLM tools.
  2. The AGI architecture may not be perfect but will be close to optimal in terms of compute efficiency.
  3. The Transformer block will likely remain crucial in AGI architectures due to its optimization, R&D investments, and cognitive capacity.

Non-Newtonian Computing?

Bzogramming • 30 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Computing Physics Cryptography Algorithms AI
  1. Physics has alternative framings like Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, which could inspire new ways of viewing computation.
  2. Reversible computing, preserving information by having bijective gates, is crucial for energy efficiency and future computing technologies.
  3. Studying constraint solvers and NP-complete problems can lead to insights for accelerating search algorithms and developing new computing approaches.

Superconductors and Such

Bzogramming • 53 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Materials science Software Imaging Algorithms Business Models
  1. There is potential for room-temperature superconductors with simple materials like lead, phosphate, and copper.
  2. A shift back to innovation in physical technologies, like hyperspectral imaging and geometric folding algorithms, might lead to significant advancements.
  3. A reemphasis on traditional engineering fields, such as cars and rocket engines, is essential for future innovations outside of software.
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How to Study Data Structures and Algorithms [Technique Tuesday]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 06 Apr 22
🕹 Technology Coding Data Structures Algorithms
  1. Experts often give bad advice for studying Data Structures and Algorithms, like relying solely on Leetcode.
  2. To effectively learn DSA, take time to understand the history and purpose of each data structure beyond just learning the mechanics.
  3. Don't rush through learning Data Structures and Algorithms; taking it slow and grasping the fundamentals thoroughly will lead to better mastery and understanding.

Bloom Filter [Systems Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 10 Jul 22
🕹 Technology Data Structures Algorithms Systems Design Interview Preparation
  1. Bloom Filters are probabilistic data structures used to efficiently test for membership.
  2. Bloom Filters work by having a bit array of size m with k hash functions mapping values to indices, setting the indices to 1 for a given input.
  3. Bloom Filters are great for reducing unnecessary disk access, but they can result in false positives and need regeneration as more values are added.

Transposing a Matrix using RISC-V Vector

Fprox’s Substack • 27 HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Programming Hardware Algorithms Benchmarking Software Development
  1. Transposing a matrix in linear algebra is a common operation to switch row-major and column-major layouts to optimize computations.
  2. Different techniques like strided vector operations and in-register methods can be used to efficiently transpose matrices using RISC-V Vector instructions.
  3. Implementations with segmented memory variants and vector strided operations can be more efficient in terms of retired instructions compared to in-register methods for matrix transpose.

Mark Zuckerberg Wants You To Think That His Algorithms are All-Powerful

Never Met a Science • 50 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Social media Algorithms Research Content creation Digital Platforms
  1. Temporal validity in social media experiments may be challenging due to the fast-paced nature of platforms like TikTok.
  2. Social media companies emphasize the power of their algorithms to drive ad revenue, but may be cautious about influencing elections.
  3. The interaction between producers and consumers, influenced by social feedback, plays a crucial role in the dynamics of social media content.

How to Solve Leetcode Brain Teasers [Technique Tusdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 09 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Coding Interviews Algorithms Problem Solving Tutoring
  1. Brain teasers in interviews may seem simple but can be tricky to solve because of their deceptive simplicity.
  2. When stuck on a problem, look for something familiar to latch onto and analyze it in depth to gain clarity on possible solutions.
  3. Talking out loud about the problem can help make connections, leading to better problem-solving and understanding.

Log Transformations for efficient multiplication between lots of positive numbers [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 02 Nov 22
🔬 Science Mathematics Computing Big Data Machine Learning Algorithms
  1. Log transformations can be used for efficient multiplication between large numbers by converting the problem into addition of logs, making it more manageable.
  2. Logs have interesting properties that make them useful for handling computations with very large or very small numbers.
  3. Using log transformations is a clever math technique that is commonly used in fields like AI, Big Data, and Machine Learning to handle large computations.

"Algorithmic entombment", explore-exploit trade-offs, and serendipity

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 04 Oct 22
🕹 Technology Algorithms Media Recommendations User Experience Data science
  1. Recommendation systems can help us find new favorites but also risk making our choices repetitive. If we're only shown what we already like, we might miss out on discovering exciting new things.
  2. There's a balance between exploring new options and sticking to what we know. Too much of either can lead to boredom or discomfort, so it’s important to mix both approaches in our choices.
  3. Serendipity, or those happy accidents that lead to great moments, can be lost with strict recommendation systems. Sometimes the best experiences come from unexpected encounters, not just from things we already enjoy.

Links #4

Splitting Infinity • 19 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
🔬 Science Technology Research Innovation Materials Algorithms
  1. Featured topics include a New State Solution for Israel and Palestine, companies in technology, and innovations throughout history.
  2. Specialized teams can offer higher-quality and healthier food efficiently than home cooking, potentially changing kitchen dynamics.
  3. Research highlights advancements in electron beams, extreme bandit problem solutions, and potential uses of superoscillation technologies.

A Book to Make You Less Afraid of AI: Melanie Mitchell's "Artificial Intelligence"

Mike Talks AI • 19 implied HN points • 14 Jul 23
🔬 Science AI Neural Networks Natural Language Processing Algorithms
  1. The book 'Artificial Intelligence' by Melanie Mitchell eases fears about AI and provides education.
  2. It covers the history of AI, details on algorithms, and a discussion on human intelligence.
  3. The book explains how deep neural networks and natural language processing work in an understandable way.

What if you could tweak the algorithm?

do clouds feel vertigo? • 39 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Social media Decentralization Content curation Algorithms Blockchain
  1. Users should be able to customize their social media algorithms to see content that truly interests them. This way, they can avoid echo chambers and connect with valuable information.
  2. Decentralized social networks have the potential to disrupt the current big platforms by giving users more control over their data and experiences. Open protocols can lead to better privacy and diversity.
  3. Algorithms are crucial in shaping online experiences, and their evolution will continue. Community-driven algorithms in decentralized networks could offer new ways to recommend content effectively.

[Solution]Problem 80: Unique Paths[Google]

Technology Made Simple • 19 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Coding Algorithms Development
  1. The problem discussed involves finding the number of unique paths a robot can take to reach the bottom-right corner of a grid by moving only down or right.
  2. Grid traversal, dynamic programming, and recursion are key concepts used to solve this problem efficiently.
  3. The test cases provided ensure that the answer is less than or equal to 2 * 10^9, with constraints on the grid size.

All about the graphs [Math Monday]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 29 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Data Structures Algorithms Graphs Coding Interviews
  1. Graphs can be seen from various perspectives: charts and plots (stats), maps with complex algorithms (graph theory), and adjacency lists for coding. Understanding these perspectives is crucial for effective use of graphs.
  2. Identifying whether a problem could be a graph problem involves recognizing the entities (nodes), relationships (edges), and weights in the context of a system. This spotting framework helps in solving graph-related problems efficiently.
  3. Practicing graph spotting as a skill involves starting with easy problems to identify graph components quickly. Familiarity with graphs and the ability to spot them easily is crucial for solving graph problems in interviews.

Using Visualization to create better solutions [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 16 Aug 22
🕹 Technology Visualization Math Computer Science Algorithms Learning
  1. Visualization helps in learning and problem-solving by making connections and identifying patterns.
  2. When visualizing complex ideas, start small by breaking down components and building up from there.
  3. Developing visualization skills requires a strong understanding of the concepts and practicing visualization techniques regularly.

Problem 51:Happy Number[IBM]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 10 Aug 22
🕹 Technology Programming Coding Newsletter Interviews Algorithms
  1. The problem highlighted focuses on determining if a number is a happy number through a specific process involving the sum of squares of its digits.
  2. A happy number reaches 1 through the process described, whereas some numbers loop endlessly without reaching 1.
  3. The post also mentions a newsletter aimed at helping individuals succeed in tech interviews by providing valuable resources and techniques.

Power Function in logarithmic time [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 09 Aug 22
🕹 Technology Programming Algorithms Interviews Tutorials Optimization
  1. Optimizing the power function using logarithmic time can be a game-changer, making computations quicker and efficient.
  2. Understanding and applying mathematical tricks like leveraging even and odd numbers can significantly reduce the number of instructions needed to solve a problem.
  3. Learning to optimize algorithms using divide and conquer techniques, such as in the power function example, can enhance problem-solving skills and overall coding proficiency.

Reduce memory of graph traversal by marking spot as visited instead of using a set[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 02 Aug 22
🕹 Technology Coding Optimization Algorithms Data Structures Tech Education
  1. In graph traversal, reducing memory usage by marking spots as visited instead of using a set can optimize your code and help you move from O(n) space complexity to O(1) complexity.
  2. This technique is straightforward to implement, takes no extra space, and can be a significant improvement in graph traversal algorithms.
  3. When implementing this technique, be cautious about the value used to mark visited cells and always confirm with your interviewer about input data type to avoid conflicts.

Why social media should give users control over their algorithms

The Kahneman Bot • 19 implied HN points • 05 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms E-commerce Social media Tech Platforms
  1. Users trust and use algorithms more when they have control over them, despite the benefits algorithms offer.
  2. In product design, be cautious about taking autonomy away from users as it can hinder their happiness and decision-making.
  3. Data-driven products should consider giving users more control over algorithms to improve trust, engagement, and overall value.

Problem 26: Remove K digits to create smallest number[Microsoft]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 23 Feb 22
🕹 Technology Coding Algorithms Interview Prep
  1. Given a non-negative integer as a string, you can remove k digits to form the smallest number.
  2. Removing specific digits strategically can create the desired smallest number, as illustrated in the examples.
  3. It's important to consider string manipulation, integer typecasting, and a greedy approach when solving this type of problem.

[Solution]Problem 48:Valid Parentheses[Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 21 Jul 22
🕹 Technology Coding Problem Solving Algorithms Interviews
  1. Understanding the concept of valid parentheses is crucial in coding interviews to solve classic problems like determining if a string of brackets is valid.
  2. Key rules for valid parentheses involve closing the brackets in the correct order and ensuring that the opening and closing brackets match.
  3. Developing an algorithm to validate parentheses involves utilizing the Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle with stacks to track opening and closing brackets.

Don't lie to the computer

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 21 Feb 22
🕹 Technology Software Programming Design Algorithms Engineering
  1. Lying to computers can lead to big problems. Computers take everything at face value and won't understand when you're not being honest.
  2. This can happen in many areas, like bug reporting or software design. For example, making up a fake bug level instead of addressing real issues is misleading.
  3. It's easy to want to cut corners to save time, but being dishonest can cause issues down the line. Just like in personal relationships, honesty is usually the best policy.

Reducing selection bias / popularity bias in ranking

Recommender systems • 26 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data Analysis Algorithms Coding
  1. Reducing selection bias and popularity bias in ranking is important for recommender systems.
  2. An advocated approach is to factorize user interaction signals to account for biases originating from power users and power items.
  3. The proposals for causal/debiased ranking involve factorization, mutual information, and mixture of logits to improve the ranking model.

GenAI will change how games are played

Let's talk games & AI. • 15 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Video Games Cloud Computing Hardware Algorithms
  1. In about 7.5 years, there is potential for playing any game experience whenever you want.
  2. The speed of GenAI model advancements will likely lead to faster response times for gaming.
  3. Over the next few years, GenAI will revolutionize how games are created and played through user-generated content, dynamic gaming experiences, and cloud gaming solutions.

[Solution]Problem 41: Create your own Datastructure with O(1) Time complexity (Dropbox)

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 11 Jun 22
🕹 Technology Data Structures Logic Programming Algorithms Software Engineering
  1. Creating a data structure with O(1) time complexity involves implementing functions like plus, minus, get_max, and get_min efficiently.
  2. Utilizing a Doubly Linked List allows for maintaining a sorted collection of keys, enabling quick access to elements with the lowest and highest values.
  3. Developing algorithms to handle key count increments and decrements while preserving the sorted order of the linked list is crucial for a functional solution.

Using Bits as a way to Encode Preference[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 01 Jun 22
🕹 Technology Coding Data Structures Algorithms Math
  1. Using bit fields can significantly reduce storage requirements for tracking user preferences. A technique by Vimeo engineers allowed O(1) space compared to the traditional O(k) method, making the solution far more efficient.
  2. Bit fields utilize bitwise operators to represent content filters, enabling quick comparisons in constant time. This approach is memory and time-efficient.
  3. Implementing bit fields for tracking user preferences allows for efficient filtering of content by performing a bitwise AND operation between the user's and video's bit fields. This results in a quick eligibility check for the user.

Recursive Leap of Faith [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 18 May 22
🕹 Technology Programming Recursion Dynamic Programming Algorithms Software Development
  1. The 'Recursive Leap of Faith' technique is a powerful approach in recursion where we assume our recursive calls will work as expected, simplifying our problem-solving process.
  2. By using the Leap of Faith, we can break down recursive problems into base cases and recursive steps, making it easier to navigate through complex coding challenges.
  3. To master the Recursive Leap of Faith technique, consistent practice is key. Breaking down problems into base cases and making assumptions about recursive calls helps build proficiency over time.

[Solution]Problem 37: Word Search[Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 13 May 22
🕹 Technology Coding Graphs Backtracking Algorithms
  1. Identifying the pattern in graph problems can help simplify the solution - like finding adjacent letters in a grid.
  2. Using the correct graph traversal algorithm is crucial, like choosing DFS for visiting every node in a graph.
  3. Implementing backtracking in DFS can help efficiently solve problems - like removing unnecessary nodes for optimization.

Recurrence Relations[Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 10 May 22
🚌 Education Math Coding Algorithms Tutorial
  1. Recurrence relations are crucial in Computer Science and Discrete Math, defining the basis of Time Complexity.
  2. Understanding recurrence relations makes it easier to analyze code efficiency and computational requirements.
  3. By practicing common functions like sorting, searching, and analyzing their recurrence behavior, you can easily compute time complexity.

[Solution]Problem 36: Container with Most Water[Two Sigma]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 06 May 22
🕹 Technology Coding Finance Problem Solving Optimization Algorithms
  1. Maximizing the area of a container with water involves maximizing both its width and height, which leads to utilizing a technique like Two Pointers for an optimized solution.
  2. For the container problem discussed, starting with two pointers at the ends and progressively moving them towards each other to increase width helps in filtering out low width and height combinations.
  3. A key optimization technique known as 'Artem's Rule' states that if a > b, then a > all numbers lesser than b, which can be a foundational concept for various interview problem optimizations.

[Solution]Problem 35: 3 Sum[Netflix]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 29 Apr 22
🕹 Technology Coding Algorithms Interviews Problem Solving Sorting
  1. Practice the skills mentioned in your interviews frequently to make problem-solving easier.
  2. Understanding the properties of numbers like knowing how values affect the sum can help in solving coding problems effectively.
  3. Sorting the input array can be crucial in solving problems where solutions need to be filtered based on certain properties of the input.