I'm Reading 'Learn Data Structures and Algorithms with Golang' So You Don't Have To

So I picked up this book called “Learn Data Structures and Algorithms with Golang” by Bhagvan Kommadi (Packt Publishing, 2019, ISBN: 978-1-78961-850-1). And I’m going to retell the whole thing here on the blog, chapter by chapter.

Why? Because data structures and algorithms are one of those things every developer needs to know. But most resources either assume you already know everything or throw math at you until your eyes glaze over. This book tries to teach it all using Go, which is a nice change from the usual Java or Python examples you see everywhere.

What’s the Book About?

The book has 10 chapters split into three sections:

Section 1 - The Basics:

• Chapter 1: What data structures and algorithms actually are
• Chapter 2: Getting started with Go for DSA

Section 2 - Core Data Structures:

• Chapter 3: Linear data structures (lists, stacks, queues)
• Chapter 4: Non-linear data structures (trees, hash tables)
• Chapter 5: Homogeneous data structures (arrays, matrices)
• Chapter 6: Heterogeneous data structures (linked lists)
• Chapter 7: Dynamic data structures (dictionaries, sequences)
• Chapter 8: Classic algorithms (sorting, searching, recursion)

Section 3 - Advanced Stuff:

• Chapter 9: Network and sparse matrix representation
• Chapter 10: Memory management

How This Series Works

I’ll break each chapter into digestible posts. No heavy theory dumps. Just the key ideas explained in plain language with enough Go code to make it click.

If you’re learning Go and want to understand how data structures work under the hood, this series is for you. If you’re prepping for coding interviews and want a different angle on the material, this could help too.

The Posts

Here’s what’s coming:

1. Chapter 1 Part 1: What Are Data Structures Anyway?
2. Chapter 1 Part 2: Algorithms and How to Think About Performance
3. Chapter 2 Part 1: Go Basics for Data Structures
4. Chapter 2 Part 2: Slices, Maps, and Go Patterns
5. Chapter 3 Part 1: Lists, Sets, and Tuples in Go
6. Chapter 3 Part 2: Stacks, Queues, and Heaps
7. Chapter 4 Part 1: Trees in Go
8. Chapter 4 Part 2: Hash Tables and Hash Functions
9. Chapter 5 Part 1: Arrays and Multi-Dimensional Arrays
10. Chapter 5 Part 2: Matrix Operations in Go
11. Chapter 6 Part 1: Singly and Doubly Linked Lists
12. Chapter 6 Part 2: Circular Lists and Ordered Lists
13. Chapter 7 Part 1: Dictionaries and TreeSets
14. Chapter 7 Part 2: Sequences and Anti-Patterns
15. Chapter 8 Part 1: Sorting Algorithms in Go
16. Chapter 8 Part 2: Searching, Recursion, and Hashing
17. Chapter 9 Part 1: Graphs and Network Representation
18. Chapter 9 Part 2: Sparse Matrices and Real-World Uses
19. Chapter 10 Part 1: Memory Management and Garbage Collection
20. Chapter 10 Part 2: Cache Management and Space Allocation
21. Final Thoughts: Was This Book Worth It?

Let’s get into it. First up: Chapter 1 Part 1 - What Are Data Structures Anyway?