Computer programs are formulated in a programming language and specify classes of computing processes. Computers, however, interpret sequences of particular instructions, but not program texts. Therefore, the program text must be translated into a suitable instruction sequence before it can be processed by a computer. This translation can be automated, which implies that it can be formulated as a program itself. The translation program is called a compiler, and the text to be translated is called source text (or sometimes source code). It is not difficult to see that this translation process from source text to instruction sequence requires considerable effort and follows complex rules

The objective of this book is to study a broad variety of important and useful algorithms: methods for solving problems which are suited for computer implementation. We’ll deal with many different areas of application, always trying to concentrate on “fundamental” algorithms which are important to know and interesting to stu.dy. Because of the large number of areas and algorithms to be covered, we won’t have room to study many of the methods in great depth