How to obtain the book for class

We will use the 4th edition of Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas Cormen, Charles Leiserson, Ronald Rivest, and Clifford Stein (ISBN: 9780262046305). Often this is called the “CLRS” book based on the surname initials of the authors. Accessing the book is important because we will have regular reading quizzes based on the book.

If you are considering graduate school, I encourage you to get a physical copy rather than renting the book. CLRS is considered one of the most commonly used Algorithms books, serves as an excellent reference manual, and it is very likely that you will use this book again in your next Algorithms class (regardless of the school).

Ask a friend

Did you have a friend that took this class in a previous semester? Are they willing to loan you their book, or to sell it to you at a discount price? I have an extra physical copy that I am willing to loan out for the semester on a first-come first-serve basis; please inquire with me, and return it in good condition.

Bookstore / Amazon: physical copy ($)

For those that prefer a physical copy - consider buying used. See the Wilson Bookstore or Amazon, for example.

PRIMO Library Catalog: digital copy (free)

You can use this for free with your College of Wooster account. We have enough access copies for everyone in the class.

Go to The College of Wooster Libraries: https://wooster.edu/library/
Type in the “PRIMO Library Catalog” search box the phrase “Introduction to Algorithms”, and select “Search”.
If you didn’t already, sign in to your Wooster account using your CoW credentials.
You will see a few books pop up. We want the latest one (at the time of writing, it shows year 2022), which will be the 4th edition. Click the title of the book.
Select the link under “full text availability”.
This will take you to a website which appears as follows. You can then click the “Read Online” button. Note that you will not be able to download a PDF of the book, but you can access it online this way.