Tpreface his book is designed for a two-semester sequence in computer science, beginning with what is typically known as Data Structures and continuing with advanced data structures and algorithm analysis. It is appropriate for the courses from both the two-course and three-course sequences in “B.1 Introductory Tracks,” as outlined in the final report of the Computing Curricula 2001 project (CC2001)—a joint undertaking of the ACM and the IEEE.

The content of the Data Structures course has been evolving for some time. Although there is some general consensus concerning topic coverage, considerable disagreement still exists over the details. One uniformly accepted topic is principles of software development, most notably the concepts of encapsulation and information hiding. Algorithmically, all Data Structures courses tend to include an introduction to running-time analysis, recursion, basic sorting algorithms, and elementary data structures. Many universities offer an advanced course that covers topics in data structures, algorithms, and running-time analysis at a higher level. The material in this text has been designed for use in both levels of courses, thus eliminating the need to purchase a second textbook.