[Question] What do you guys think about the study of algorithms?

[R3ckless]

Hey EZ.

I started reading Introduction to Algorithms 3rd edition and I was wondering what you guys think about the use of well elaborated algorithms in the hacking/security area?

Do any of you see it as A1 priority? Anyone see them not as important?

[rasenove]

If you want to be a good programmer, you should learn to write time and space efficient algorithm and learn to analyse them. It is often the algorithm that makes a efficient program rather than what language was used.
I myself don't know very much about it but it is an interesting subject.

[Deque]

Knowledge about algorithms and datastructure is a must if you want to program. If programming is required for the kind of hacking you are doing (what you might do that you call "hacking" is really broad) then, yes, it is a must.

And yes, even if you think in the beginning that you don't need the algorithms presented there (I thought the same when I started to learn programming), you just don't know yet where you can apply them.

PS: You don't need to know how every algorithm works in the smallest detail, but you need to know which solutions are there, how they are called and where to find them.
I.e. you need enough knowledge to be able to recognize when you have i.e. a knapsack problem and that it is called like that so that you can search after solutions.