Introduction to DSA

Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA) is the study of how to organize data and solve problems efficiently. This track assumes you already know basic syntax from Python intro or C++ intro, plus complexity intuition from NumPy and workflow context from Data Science intro. Playgrounds compile C++17 as a single main.cpp file (server_compiled).

Prerequisites and how this track works

• Python intro or C++ intro — variables, loops, functions (not a full language course here)
• NumPy intro — array thinking and Big-O intuition for vectorized work
• Data Science intro — problem framing and communicating results
• Forward: AI intro for ML pipelines; SciPy intro for scientific numerics on arrays

Lessons use execution_profile: server_compiled with g++ -std=c++17 -Wall. Every playground is one file: #include <iostream>, int main(), std::cout.

What you will learn

• Big-O time and space complexity; loop and recursion analysis
• Classic structures: arrays, vectors, stacks, queues, hash maps, trees, heaps, graphs
• Classic algorithms: sorting, binary search, BFS/DFS, DP/greedy previews, union-find
• Interview patterns: two pointers, sliding window, prefix sums, BST, topological sort

First run

#include 

int main() {
    std::cout << "DSA track ready\n";
    std::cout << "Big-O, structures, interview patterns\n";
    return 0;
}

Why DSA after NumPy / data science?

NumPy hides loops in fast C kernels—but interviews and large-scale systems still require knowing whether your approach is O(n) or O(n²). DSA gives vocabulary for trade-offs you will see in SciPy sparse solvers, graph libraries, and AI training loops.

Important interview questions and answers

1. Q: Is this a C++ language course?
   A: No—syntax is assumed; we use C++ playgrounds to practice memory-adjacent thinking and STL containers.
2. Q: Python vs C++ for DSA?
   A: Concepts transfer; C++ std::vector, map, queue mirror what you will implement or use in interviews.

Self-check

1. Name three prerequisite tracks and one forward track.
2. What execution profile does this topic use?

Tip: Run the intro challenge—every lesson compiles as single-file C++17 with std::cout.