One of the BBC's most anticipated books for 2024'The story told here is instrumental to your own' - Jared Lanier 'Timely, erudite, important' - Ayad Akhtar What happens when our cultural and artistic lives are dictated to us by an algorithm? What does it mean when shareability supersedes innovation? How can we make a choice when the options have been so carefully arranged for us? From coffee shops to city grids to TikTok feeds and Netflix homepages the world over, algorithmic recommendations prescribe our experiences. This network of mathematically determined choices - the 'Filterworld' - has taken over, almost unnoticed, as we've grown accustomed to an insipid new normal. But to have our tastes, behaviours, and emotions governed by computers calls the very notion of free will into question. Internationally recognized journalist and New Yorker staff writer Kyle Chayka journeys through this ever-tightening web woven by algorithms. He explores how online and offline spaces alike have been engineered for seamless consumption. How the lowest common denominator is promoted at the expense of the complex, diverse or challenging. How users of technology contend with data-driven equations that promise to anticipate their desires but often get them wrong. How the FIlterworld is determining the very shape of culture itself. Chayka skilfully and compellingly traces this creeping, machine-guided curation that influences not just what culture we consume, but what culture is produced. In doing so, he attempts to answer to the most urgent question currently facing us: is personal freedom ever again possible on the Internet?Filterworld is a fascinating history of the rise of the algorithm and an important investigation into where it could take us next - if we let it. Read more

Dive into the world of C programming with this all-encompassing guide that is designed to transform beginners into proficient C programmers. "C Programming" stands as a beacon of clarity and depth in a sea of programming literature. This book uniquely bridges the gap between foundational learning and professional application, making it an indispensable resource for both novices and seasoned programmers.The journey begins with downloading and installing a free C compiler, setting the stage for an interactive and hands-on learning experience. Each chapter meticulously builds your knowledge from the ground up, covering every nuance of the C language. From the basics of variables, data structures, and functions, to the intricacies of pointers, memory allocation, and file I/O, this book leaves no stone unturned.Embrace the power of C, a language as relevant today as it was in its inception, perfect for system programming, embedded systems, and high-performance computing. Our approach demystifies complex concepts through a blend of theory and extensive code examples, illuminated by colored syntax-highlighting for an enhanced learning experience. The book not only introduces you to the fundamentals but also guides you through advanced features of the C Standard Library and modern C standards , As you progress, you'll encounter practical exercises and projects, reinforcing concepts and encouraging you to apply what you've learned. These hands-on activities are designed to cultivate good coding practices, clean code development, and a deep understanding of C's capabilities.We understand that programming is not just about learning a language—it's about thinking like a programmer. This guide employs intentional failure methods, where you'll learn to break and fix code, equipping you with the ability to recognize and rectify mistakes effectively.By the end of your journey with "C Programming" you'll have a solid foundation in one of the most fundamental programming languages, ready to explore other languages with confidence. This book is more than just a guide; it's your gateway to mastering the art of C programming.Key Features Comprehensive Coverage: From basic syntax to advanced features, the book covers all aspects of the C language, providing a complete learning experience.Hands-On Learning: Includes practical exercises and projects to reinforce learning and encourage the application of concepts.Beginner-Friendly: Tailored for beginners with no previous programming experience, making it accessible for anyone looking to start their programming journey in C.Advanced Topics for Seasoned Programmers: Delves into complex topics like memory management, pointers, and file I/O, offering valuable insights for experienced developers.Modern Standards: Covers modern C standards and features of the C Standard Library, ensuring readers learn the most up-to-date practices.Colored Syntax-Highlighting: Offers downloadable sample code with colored syntax-highlighting for clearer comprehension.Real-World Applications: Demonstrates how C can be used in various domains, from system programming to embedded systems and high-performance computing.Practical Tips and Tricks: Provides practical tips and tricks that can be applied to everyday programming tasks and challengesEach feature of the book is designed to provide a rich, comprehensive learning experience that equips readers with the knowledge and skills to excel in C programming. Read more

Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeA metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis CarrollDouglas Hofstadter's book is concerned directly with the nature of "maps" or links between formal systems. However, according to Hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity transcends the system that supports it. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal system of firing neurons, then so too will computers attain human intelligence. Gödel, Escher, Bach is a wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more. Read more

NEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BUSINESS BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE FT AND MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019'Reads more like a delicious page-turning novel...Put it on your holiday gift list for your favourite hedge-fund honcho' Bloomberg'A compelling read' Economist'Captivating' New York Times book reviewJim Simons is the greatest moneymaker in modern financial history. His record bests those of legendary investors, including Warren Buffett, George Soros and Ray Dalio. Yet Simons and his strategies are shrouded in mystery. The financial industry has long craved a look inside Simons's secretive hedge fund, Renaissance Technologies and veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman delivers the goods.After a legendary career as a mathematician and a stint breaking Soviet codes, Simons set out to conquer financial markets with a radical approach. Simons hired physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists - most of whom knew little about finance - to amass piles of data and build algorithms hunting for the deeply hidden patterns in global markets. Experts scoffed, but Simons and his colleagues became some of the richest in the world, their strategy of creating mathematical models and crunching data embraced by almost every industry today.As Renaissance became a major player in the financial world, its executives began exerting influence on other areas. Simons became a major force in scientific research, education and Democratic politics, funding Hilary Clinton's presidential campaign. While senior executive Robert Mercer is more responsible than anyone else for the Trump presidency - he placed Steve Bannon in the campaign, funded Trump's victorious 2016 effort and backed alt-right publication Breitbart. Mercer also impacted the success of the Brexit campaign as he made significant investments in Cambridge Anatlytica. For all his prescience, Simons failed to anticipate how Mercer's activity would impact his firm and the world.In this fast-paced narrative, Zuckerman examines how Simons launched a quantitative revolution on Wall Street, and reveals the impact that Simons, the quiet billionaire king of the quants, has had on worlds well beyond finance. Read more

_______________‘One of the best books yet written on data and algorithms. . .deserves a place on the bestseller charts.’ (The Times) You are accused of a crime. Who would you rather determined your fate – a human or an algorithm?An algorithm is more consistent and less prone to error of judgement. Yet a human can look you in the eye before passing sentence.Welcome to the age of the algorithm, the story of a not-too-distant future where machines rule supreme, making important decisions – in healthcare, transport, finance, security, what we watch, where we go even who we send to prison. So how much should we rely on them? What kind of future do we want?Hannah Fry takes us on a tour of the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us. In Hello World she lifts the lid on their inner workings, demonstrates their power, exposes their limitations, and examines whether they really are an improvement on the humans they are replacing.A BBC RADIO 4: BOOK OF THE WEEKSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE AND 2018 ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE Read more

'A manual for the 21st-century citizen... accessible, refreshingly critical, relevant and urgent' - Financial Times'Fascinating and deeply disturbing' - Yuval Noah Harari, Guardian Books of the YearIn this New York Times bestseller, Cathy O'Neil, one of the first champions of algorithmic accountability, sounds an alarm on the mathematical models that pervade modern life -- and threaten to rip apart our social fabric.We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives - where we go to school, whether we get a loan, how much we pay for insurance - are being made not by humans, but by mathematical models. In theory, this should lead to greater fairness: everyone is judged according to the same rules, and bias is eliminated. And yet, as Cathy O'Neil reveals in this urgent and necessary book, the opposite is true. The models being used today are opaque, unregulated, and incontestable, even when they're wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination. Tracing the arc of a person's life, O'Neil exposes the black box models that shape our future, both as individuals and as a society. These "weapons of math destruction" score teachers and students, sort CVs, grant or deny loans, evaluate workers, target voters, and monitor our health. O'Neil calls on modellers to take more responsibility for their algorithms and on policy makers to regulate their use. But in the end, it's up to us to become more savvy about the models that govern our lives. This important book empowers us to ask the tough questions, uncover the truth, and demand change. Read more

THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO AI FROM THE PRESENTER OF THE 2023 ROYAL INSTITUTION CHRISTMAS LECTURE'I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?' Alan Turing (1950)Part of the ALL-NEW Ladybird Expert series.This book is for everyone living in the age of Artificial Intelligence. And this is an accessible and authoritative introduction to one of the most important conversations of our time . . . Written by computer scientist Michael Wooldridge, Artificial Intelligence chronicles the development of intelligent machines, from Turing's dream of machines that think, to today's digital assistants like Siri and Alexa. AI is not something that awaits us in the future. Inside you'll learn how we have come to rely on embedded AI software and what a world of ubiquitous AI might look like.What's inside?- The British mathematician Alan Turing- Can machines 'understand'?- Logical and Behavioural AI- The reality of AI today- AI tomorrow- And much more . . . For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small hardback format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years. Read more

DESCRIPTION Algorithms nothing more than step-by-step procedures for solving problems and most algorithms used by programmers have already been discovered, tested, and proven. Those wanting to take a hard pass on Knuth's brilliant but impenetrable theories, and the dense multi-page proofs found in most textbooks, will want to read Grokking Algorithms. This fully-illustrated and engaging guide makes it easy to learn how to use algorithms effectively. Grokking Algorithms is a disarming take on a core computer science topic and shows readers how to apply common algorithms to practical problems faced in the day-to-day life of a programmer. It starts with problems like sorting and searching and builds up skills in thinking algorithmically. Then it tackles more complex concerns such as data compression or artificial intelligence. Whether writing business software, video games, mobile apps, or system utilities, readers will learn algorithmic techniques for solving problems that they thought were out of reach. By the end of this book, they will know some of the most widely applicable algorithms, as well as how and when to use them. KEY SELLING POINTS Disarming take on a core computer science topic Carefully presented examples Helpful diagrams and fully annotated code samples AUDIENCE This easy-to-read, picture-heavy introduction is suitable for self-taught programmers, engineers, or anyone who wants to brush up on algorithms. Code examples are written in Python. ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY Algorithms are nothing more than step-by-step procedures for solving problems. They can make writing code faster, or make it possible to write code that might not have been able to be written without them. Read more

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2024AI is changing what it means to be human. This is the unrivalled investigation into the impact of AI on how we live now.'The intimate investigation of AI that we’ve been waiting for, and it arrives not a moment too soon.' – Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance CapitalismThrough the voices of ordinary people in places far removed from Silicon Valley, Code Dependent explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society. Madhumita Murgia, AI Editor at the FT, exposes how AI can strip away our collective and individual sense of agency – and shatter our illusion of free will.AI is already changing what it means to be human, in ways large and small. In this compelling work, Murgia reveals what could happen if we fail to reclaim our humanity.'A nuanced, thoughtful and very accessible picture of a world deeply affected by AI' – Martha Lane Fox'Highly readable and deeply important' – The Guardian'Code Dependent is the No Logo of the 2020s' – The Times Read more

A fascinating exploration of how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives.In this dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, acclaimed author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths show us how the simple, precise algorithms used by computers can also untangle very human questions. Modern life is constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? The authors explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others.From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of human memory, Algorithms To Live By is full of practical takeaways to help you solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mind. Read more

This is the Python version of our book. See the website for links to the C++ and Java version.Have you ever... Wanted to work at an exciting futuristic company?Struggled with an interview problem thatcould have been solved in 15 minutes? Wished you could study real-world computing problems?If so, you need to read Elements of Programming Interviews (EPI).EPI is your comprehensive guide to interviewing for software development roles.The core of EPI is a collection of over 250 problems with detailed solutions. The problems are representative of interview questions asked at leading software companies. The problems are illustrated with 200 figures, 300 tested programs, and 150 additional variants.The book begins with a summary of the nontechnical aspects of interviewing, such as strategies for a great interview, common mistakes, perspectives from the other side of the table, tips on negotiating the best offer, and a guide to the best ways to use EPI. We also provide a summary of data structures, algorithms, and problem solving patterns.Coding problems are presented through a series of chapters on basic and advanced data structures, searching, sorting, algorithm design principles, and concurrency. Each chapter stars with a brief introduction, a case study, top tips, and a review of the most important library methods. This is followed by a broad and thought-provoking set of problems.A practical, fun approach to computer science fundamentals, as seen through the lens of common programming interview questions. Jeff Atwood/Co-founder, Stack Overflow and Discourse Read more

If you feel like you’ve “missed the boat” on Bitcoin. Think again…Because while Bitcoin continues to hit all time highs, this book will show you it’s not too late to invest in “Digital Gold”What was once a fringe currency only used by a dark corner of the web… is now the fastest growing financial asset on Earth.And this is just the beginning…You see, we are still in just the 2nd inning of Bitcoin as a financial entity.So while no financial vehicle is making people rich as quickly as Bitcoin…Less than 10% of Americans and 2% of the worldwide population owns it.But now, the major players are taking an interest.Like Billionaire Hedge Fund owner Paul Tudor JonesInternet pioneer Tim Draper, who was an early investor in companies like Hotmail, Tesla and Robinhood.And CEO of Social Capital, Chamath Palihapitiya, who predicts Bitcoin will be worth $1 million within the next 15 years.So even if you’ve been unconvinced thus far, this book will give you the straight facts on Bitcoin as a financial asset… without any of the hype or noise.Here is just a fraction of what you will discover:The surprisingly small amount of Bitcoin you need to join the top 1% of Bitcoin owners worldwide – Page 15How a complete technophobe can buy Bitcoin is less than 5 minutes – Page 655 Billionaires who believe Bitcoin has a part to play in the world economy – Page 16Is Bitcoin a legitimate currency? Answered on page 32A simple way to automate your Bitcoin purchases so you can take advantage of dollar cost averaging – Page 66The exact percentage of Bitcoin transactions that are used for illegal activities. Anti-Bitcoiners get this wrong all the time – Page 51Why you should never use Robinhood to buy Bitcoin – Page 70The downside of purchasing Bitcoin funds like GBTC – Page 71How much of your portfolio should you dedicate to Bitcoin? Our “one size fits all” solution is on page 102Plus free video tutorials for safely buying and storing Bitcoin on Page 7This is not a 600 page theoretical book which you need a math degree to understand. Written in plain English and free from repetitive technical jargon. Every single piece of financial and technical terminology is clearly defined inside.You’ll find easy-to-follow advice in how to buy and store Bitcoin yourself… without having to pay expensive fees to middlemen.For everyone who feels frustrated after watching Bitcoin soar in price… this is your chance to get in while the going is good.And not feel like you missed the boat…So even if you’re never read a single finance or investing book in your life, you will immediately understand how to become a successful long-term investor.To kickstart your Bitcoin journey today, scroll up and click “add to cart” Read more

'Fascinating' - Financial TimesAlgorithms are running our society, and as the Cambridge Analytica story has revealed, we don't really know what they are up to.Our increasing reliance on technology and the internet has opened a window for mathematicians and data researchers to gaze through into our lives. Using the data they are constantly collecting about where we travel, where we shop, what we buy and what interests us, they can begin to predict our daily habits. But how reliable is this data? Without understanding what mathematics can and can't do, it is impossible to get a handle on how it is changing our lives. In this book, David Sumpter takes an algorithm-strewn journey to the dark side of mathematics. He investigates the equations that analyse us, influence us and will (maybe) become like us, answering questions such as:- Who are Cambridge Analytica? And what are they doing with our data?- How does Facebook build a 100-dimensional picture of your personality?- Are Google algorithms racist and sexist?- Why do election predictions fail so drastically? - Are algorithms that are designed to find criminals making terrible mistakes?- What does the future hold as we relinquish our decision-making to machines?Featuring interviews with those working at the cutting edge of algorithm research, including Alex Kogan from the Cambridge Analytica story, along with a healthy dose of mathematical self-experiment, Outnumbered explains how mathematics and statistics work in the real world, and what we should and shouldn't worry about. A lot of people feel outnumbered by algorithms - don't be one of them. Read more

A comprehensive update of the leading algorithms text, with new material on matchings in bipartite graphs, online algorithms, machine learning, and other topics.Some books on algorithms are rigorous but incomplete; others cover masses of material but lack rigor. Introduction to Algorithms uniquely combines rigor and comprehensiveness. It covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers, with self-contained chapters and algorithms in pseudocode. Since the publication of the first edition, Introduction to Algorithms has become the leading algorithms text in universities worldwide as well as the standard reference for professionals. This fourth edition has been updated throughout. New for the fourth edition - New chapters on matchings in bipartite graphs, online algorithms, and machine learning - New material on topics including solving recurrence equations, hash tables, potential functions, and suffix arrays - 140 new exercises and 22 new problems - Reader feedback-informed improvements to old problems - Clearer, more personal, and gender-neutral writing style - Color added to improve visual presentation - Notes, bibliography, and index updated to reflect developments in the field - Website with new supplementary material Read more

"Effective XGBoost" is the ultimate guide to mastering the art of classification. Whether you're a seasoned data scientist or just starting out, this comprehensive book will take you from the basics of XGBoost to advanced techniques for optimizing, tuning, understanding, and deploying your models.XGBoost is one of the most popular machine learning algorithms used in data science today. With its ability to handle large datasets, handle missing values, and deal with non-linear relationships, it has become an essential tool for many data scientists. In this book, you'll learn everything you need to know to become an expert in XGBoost.Starting with the basics, you'll learn how to use XGBoost for classification tasks, including how to prepare your data, select the right features, and train your model. From there, you'll explore advanced techniques for optimizing your models, including hyperparameter tuning, early stopping, and ensemble methods.But "Effective XGBoost" doesn't stop there. You'll also learn how to interpret your XGBoost models, understand feature importance, and deploy your models in production. With real-world examples and practical advice, this book will give you the skills you need to take your XGBoost models to the next level.Whether you're working on a Kaggle competition, building a recommendation system, or just want to improve your data science skills, "Effective XGBoost" is the book for you. With its clear explanations, step-by-step instructions, and expert advice, it's the ultimate guide to mastering XGBoost and becoming a top-notch data scientist. Read more

This concise, easy-to-use reference puts one of the most popular frameworks for deep learning research and development at your fingertips. Author Joe Papa provides instant access to syntax, design patterns, and code examples to accelerate your development and reduce the time you spend searching for answers. Research scientists, machine learning engineers, and software developers will find clear, structured PyTorch code that covers every step of neural network developmentafrom loading data to customizing training loops to model optimization and GPU/TPU acceleration. Quickly learn how to deploy your code to production using AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure and deploy your ML models to mobile and edge devices. Learn basic PyTorch syntax and design patterns Create custom models and data transforms Train and deploy models using a GPU and TPU Train and test a deep learning classifier Accelerate training using optimization and distributed training Access useful PyTorch libraries and the PyTorch ecosystem Read more

Based on interdisciplinary research into "Directional Change", a new data-driven approach to financial data analysis, Detecting Regime Change in Computational Finance: Data Science, Machine Learning and Algorithmic Trading applies machine learning to financial market monitoring and algorithmic trading. Directional Change is a new way of summarising price changes in the market. Instead of sampling prices at fixed intervals (such as daily closing in time series), it samples prices when the market changes direction ("zigzags"). By sampling data in a different way, this book lays out concepts which enable the extraction of information that other market participants may not be able to see. The book includes a Foreword by Richard Olsen and explores the following topics:Data science: as an alternative to time series, price movements in a market can be summarised as directional changesMachine learning for regime change detection: historical regime changes in a market can be discovered by a Hidden Markov ModelRegime characterisation: normal and abnormal regimes in historical data can be characterised using indicators defined under Directional ChangeMarket Monitoring: by using historical characteristics of normal and abnormal regimes, one can monitor the market to detect whether the market regime has changedAlgorithmic trading: regime tracking information can help us to design trading algorithmsIt will be of great interest to researchers in computational finance, machine learning and data science.About the AuthorsJun Chen received his PhD in computational finance from the Centre for Computational Finance and Economic Agents, University of Essex in 2019.Edward P K Tsang is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Essex, where he co-founded the Centre for Computational Finance and Economic Agents in 2002. Read more

"My absolute favorite for this kind of interview preparation is Steven Skiena’s The Algorithm Design Manual. More than any other book it helped me understand just how astonishingly commonplace … graph problems are -- they should be part of every working programmer’s toolkit. The book also covers basic data structures and sorting algorithms, which is a nice bonus. … every 1 – pager has a simple picture, making it easy to remember. This is a great way to learn how to identify hundreds of problem types." (Steve Yegge, Get that Job at Google)"Steven Skiena’s Algorithm Design Manual retains its title as the best and most comprehensive practical algorithm guide to help identify and solve problems. … Every programmer should read this book, and anyone working in the field should keep it close to hand. … This is the best investment … a programmer or aspiring programmer can make." (Harold Thimbleby, Times Higher Education)"It is wonderful to open to a random spot and discover aninteresting algorithm. This is the only textbook I felt compelled to bring with me out of my student days.... The color really adds a lot of energy to the new edition of the book!" (Cory Bart, University of Delaware)"The is the most approachable book on algorithms I have." (Megan Squire, Elon University)---This newly expanded and updated third edition of the best-selling classic continues to take the "mystery" out of designing algorithms, and analyzing their efficiency. It serves as the primary textbook of choice for algorithm design courses and interview self-study, while maintaining its status as the premier practical reference guide to algorithms for programmers, researchers, and students.The reader-friendly Algorithm Design Manual provides straightforward access to combinatorial algorithms technology, stressing design over analysis. The first part, Practical Algorithm Design, provides accessible instruction on methods for designing and analyzing computer algorithms. The second part, the Hitchhiker's Guide to Algorithms, is intended for browsing and reference, and comprises the catalog of algorithmic resources, implementations, and an extensive bibliography. NEW to the third edition: -- New and expanded coverage of randomized algorithms, hashing, divide and conquer, approximation algorithms, and quantum computing -- Provides full online support for lecturers, including an improved website component with lecture slides and videos -- Full color illustrations and code instantly clarify difficult concepts -- Includes several new "war stories" relating experiences from real-world applications -- Over 100 new problems, including programming-challenge problems from LeetCode and Hackerrank. -- Provides up-to-date links leading to the best implementations available in C, C++, and JavaAdditional Learning Tools: -- Contains a unique catalog identifying the 75 algorithmic problems that arise most often in practice, leading the reader down the right path to solve them -- Exercises include "job interview problems" from major software companies -- Highlighted "take home lessons" emphasize essential concepts -- The "no theorem-proof" style provides a uniquely accessible and intuitive approach to a challenging subject -- Many algorithms are presented with actual code (written in C) -- Provides comprehensive references to both survey articles and the primary literatureWritten by a well-known algorithms researcher who received the IEEE Computer Science and Engineering Teaching Award, this substantially enhanced third edition of The Algorithm Design Manual is an essential learning tool for students and professionals needed a solid grounding in algorithms. Professor Skiena is also the author of the popular Springer texts, The Data Science Design Manual and Programming Challenges: The Programming Contest Training Manual. Read more