Public Data Resource

Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures (DADS)

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Contact: Paul Black.
Identifier: ark:/88434/mds00nbzg7
Version: 1.0
The Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures (DADS) is an online, publicly accessible dictionary of generally useful algorithms, data structures, algorithmic techniques, archetypal problems, and related definitions. In addition to brief definitions, some entries have links to related entries, links to implementations, and additional information. DADS is meant to be a resource for the practicing programmer, although students and researchers may find it a useful starting point. DADS has fundamental entries in areas such as theory, cryptography and compression, graphs, trees, and searching, for instance, Ackermann's function, quick sort, traveling salesman, big O notation, merge sort, AVL tree, hash table, and Byzantine generals. DADS also has index pages that list entries by area and by type. Currently DADS does not include algorithms particular to business data processing, communications, operating systems or distributed algorithms, programming languages, AI, graphics, or numerical analysis.
Research Areas
NIST R&D: Information Technology: Software research: Software assuranceInformation Technology: Software research: Software performanceInformation Technology: Software research: Software testingInformation Technology: Software research
Keywords: algorithmsdata structuresalgorithmic techniques
These data are public. Access rights statement:
Some definitions are copyright CRC Press, such as depoissonization. You must get CRC Press permission for those. All others are public domain. Most of the definitions, as well as the site itself, were originally developed at NIST.
For more information, please visit the home page.
Data and related material can be found at the following locations:
  DOI Access to the Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures (DADS)
DOI Access to the Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures (DADS)
Version: 1.0
Cite this dataset
Paul Black (2017), Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures (DADS), National Institute of Standards and Technology, https://xlinux.nist.gov/dads/ (Accessed 2025-04-24)
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