I just wanted to share some nice moments from our Coffee & Algorithms sessions. Many thanks to whoever donated the 8 volumes of Donald Knuth’s books on algorithms as well. There’s just something that hits differently when you’re doing it the old school way 🙂
In a world of “scaled education”, viral YouTube learning videos, and multiple choice learning, it’s nice to disentangle yourself a bit and just spend some time talking to some smart people while also weaving in literature and art.
People suffer from a ton of imposter syndrome when it comes to algorithms (I sure do), but a nice thing to remember is that it is not hard if you break it down into pieces. Well it still actually can be hard, but just recognizing that the human brain isn’t accustomed to representing things a certain way makes you feel more capable. A lot of it is just hard work, being unafraid to look “stupid”, and being persistent!
The whiteboard is very freeing, especially when it’s not done in front of a bunch of people who’d rather be coding!
It’s also quite refreshing to approach algorithms with people who specialize in mathematics. It just hits differently, and they offer a unique perspective and a reminder that algorithms exist outside of coding libraries and FAANG interviews in the realm of theory and reality!
Even if you get a job, hopefully you can transcend the current nightmare reality in which algorithms are used as a soulless corporate hazing ritual. This stuff is really pretty, and it says as much about our perceptions of the world as any piece of art.
Finally a relaxed algorithms and coffee session allows people of all levels to explore algorithms that have very little “use” in the corporate world. We were able to check out Karger’s algorithm which is relatively new and will probably never show up on a quiz or a screening test. That’s just nice! It’s fun to let normals like me get into things that would normally only be discussed at grad school coffees.
