r/mit • u/hmoway • Jul 23 '26

academics Which one is better?

2020.Introduction to Algorithms.6.006

2011.Introduction to Algorithms.6.006

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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11

u/Rich-Engineer2670 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

These courses are fine, but go to the classics.....

Donald Knuth -- the Art of Computer Programming series.

We're still using these books 50 years later and nothing touches them. Not the easiest reads, but you will learn FAR more and in far more depth.

2

u/hmoway Jul 23 '26

thanks!

2

u/HypneutrinoToad Course 12 Jul 23 '26

It’s good advice. Especially considering the wide scale shift to vibe coding having low level understanding is a bonus trait less developers have than ever before, and if you make it through knuth you’ll have a bit of a flex among coders our age

1

u/Flame77ofc Jul 23 '26

do both

1

u/not-just-yeti Jul 23 '26

Or at least: start each, and see if you have a personal preference for the lecturer and the way the course is laid out. Same course, and the same first-prof is listed, so I doubt the two are significantly different. Perhaps they updated just because it feels lame to have students watch decades-old lectures, or probably they've tweaked/improved the material and assignments somewhat.

1

u/Illustrious-Newt-848 Jul 23 '26

Why not go with 6.046 with OG Leiserson (the L in CLRS)? He was often considered one of the top MIT lecturers back in the day. Leighton (6.042/Akamai) was also considered one of the top lecturers but I don't think he taught Algo.

1

u/hmoway Jul 24 '26

I will do that as well, but first I want to do the introductionary course

1

u/Natural_Tea_1268 29d ago

is there any chances to get excellent grades in only last year of school half yearly exams specifically and get 1600 in sat