How it works
Why does it behave this way?
- 1
The big picture: a data structure is a bet
Why is a data structure a bet, and why does Big-O no longer tell us which one wins?
- 2
Lookup structures
Why is every lookup structure a decision about when to pay for reconciling arrival order with access order?
9 pages - 3
Ordering structures
Why is sorting the one unavoidable superlinear, blocking operation, and why is full order usually more than a question needs?
6 pages - 4
Probabilistic structures
At what exchange rate do sketches trade correctness?
10 pages - 5
Bit-level structures
Why do space and speed move together at the bit level, and how do encodings differ from compression?
6 pages - 6
Concurrency-friendly structures
Why can throughput fall as threads are added?
6 pages - 7
Putting the pieces together: the five currencies and the four compositions
Which few fixed arrangements explain how real systems combine these structures?