Tag: Reference Books for Computer Science

C Programming By Dennis Ritchie | Best C Programming Books

C Programming Books

C Programming Language By Dennis Ritchie

 

This article reviews the book “The C Programming Language” by Dennis Ritchie.

The article covers-

  • Special features of book
  • Analysis of Content
  • Analysis of Exercises
  • Necessary Instructions
  • Conclusion

 

Why Should Be Read?

 

Special Features of Book-

 

The special features of this book are-

  • It is one of the best books available on this subject.
  • It covers C language in great depth.
  • It covers all the GATE topics in a detailed way.
  • It has decent number of good quality exercise questions.
  • Covering this book is a must for GATE preparation.

 

Analysis of Content-

 

The following table analyzes sections of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. GATE Relevant Sections GATE Topics Covered
1 All Sections Introduction
2 2.1 to 2.4 Variables & Data Types
2.5 to 2.12 Operators & Precedence Order
3 3.1 to 3.8 Control Flow
4 4.1 to 4.2 Functions
4.3, 4.6, 4.7 External, Static & Register Variables
4.5 Header Files
4.10 Recursion
4.11 C Preprocessor
5 All Sections Pointers & Arrays
6 6.1 to 6.2 Basics of Structures
6.3 Arrays of Structures
6.4 to 6.5 Pointers & Structures
6.7 Typedef
6.8 Unions
7 7.1 to 7.2 Standard & Formatted I/O
7.4 Scanf
7.6 Error Handling

Covering Only These Sections Is Enough

 

Analysis of Exercises-

 

The following table analyzes exercises of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. Question No.
1 1.4, 1.15, 1.17, 1.19, 1.23, 1.24
2 2.1 to 2.10
3 3.4, 3.5, 3.6
4 4.1, 4.3, 4.8, 4.9, 4.12, 4.13
5 5.1 to 5.4, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10
6 6.1, 6.2, 6.4
7 7.5

Practicing Only These Exercises Is Enough

 

Necessary Instructions-

 

Keep the following instructions in mind while reading the book-

  • The book has nearly 300 pages.
  • However, if you cover only GATE related topics, it comes down to 150 pages.
  • This subject has a good weightage in GATE exam.
  • The knowledge of this subject is required in solving some of the data structures and algorithms problems.
  • The exercise questions of this book are quite good from practice point of view.
  • Practice C programming questions from all the previous GATE papers.
  • Mostly, questions in this subject come from the topic of arrays and pointers.
  • Having a firm grip over arrays and pointers will ensure good marks in the exam.

 

Conclusion-

 

  • The textbook covers many more topics than those mentioned in the GATE syllabus.
  • Reading the above described sections will ensure all the topics are covered.
  • Overall, covering this book alone is more than enough for GATE preparation of this subject.
  • You need not to refer anything else.

 

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ WHETHER

YOU ARE PREPARING FOR GATE EXAM OR NOT.

 

This book may appear a bit tough for beginner-level students.

Make sure you are familiar with the basics.

 

 

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Other Recommended Books-

 

C Programming By K.N. King-

 

 

Digital Design By Morris Mano | Best Digital Design Books

Digital Design Books

Digital Design By Morris Mano

 

This article reviews the book “Digital Design” by M. Morris Mano.

The article covers-

  • Special features of book
  • Analysis of Content
  • Analysis of Exercises
  • Necessary Instructions
  • Conclusion

 

Why Should Be Read?

 

Special Features of Book-

 

The special features of this book are-

  • It contains the most comprehensive text on this subject.
  • It is recommended even in IITs.
  • It covers all the GATE topics crisply.
  • It follows a very simple and easy-to-understand approach.
  • It is suitable for beginners as well as intermediate-level students.
  • It has ample exercise questions for practice.
  • The exercise questions are at par with the level of questions asked in the GATE exam.

 

Analysis of Content-

 

The following table analyzes sections of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. GATE Relevant Sections GATE Topics Covered
1 All Sections Binary Systems
2 2.1 to 2.6 Boolean Algebra
2.7 Logic Gates
3 3.1 to 3.4 K-Maps
3.5 to 3.8 Implementation of SOP & POS forms
4 4.1 to 4.4 Combinational Circuits
4.5 to 4.9 Multilevel NAND / NOR Circuits & Implementation
5 5.2 to 5.3 Adder & Subtractor
5.4 to 5.6 Encoders, Decoders, MUX
5.7 ROM
6 6.1 to 6.3 Sequential Circuits & Flip Flops
6.4 to 6.6 Characteristics & Excitation Tables of Flip Flops
6.7 to 6.8 Design of Sequential Circuits & Counters
7 7.1 to 7.3 Registers
7.4 to 7.5 Counters
7.7 to 7.8 RAM

Covering Only These Sections Is Enough

 

Analysis of Exercises-

 

The following table analyzes exercises of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. Question No.
1 1-10, 1-11, 1-12, 1-13, 1-14, 1-16, 1-17, 1-18, 1-19, 1-22, 1-23, 1-24, 1-31
2 2-1 to 2-7, 2-11 to 2-18, 2-22
3 3-5 to 3-8, 3-11 to 3-19, 3-22 to 3-27
4 4-1 to 4-11, 4-15 to 4-19, 4-21, 4-22, 4-28 to 4-30
5 5-4 to 5-7, 5-12, 5-13, 5-15 to 5-18, 5-23 to 5-32
6 6-1 to 6-3, 6-5 to 6-9, 6-11 to 6-16, 6-19 to 6-25
7 7-4, 7-5, 7-8, 7-9, 7-10, 7-14 to 7-17, 7-33 to 7-37

Practicing Only These Exercises Is Enough

 

Necessary Instructions-

 

Keep the following instructions in mind while reading the book-

  • The book has nearly 500 pages.
  • However, if you cover only GATE related topics, it comes down to 300 pages.
  • There is not much to skip from the first seven subjects.
  • It is the most scoring subject out of all the subjects in the GATE syllabus.
  • The questions asked are pretty straight forward.
  • If you have studied this subject well, you can answer all the questions easily.
  • Most of the questions asked are from the topics of combinational & sequential circuits.
  • Sequential circuits is the only part from where tough questions may be asked.
  • So, lay down more focus on sequential circuits.
  • The questions asked in the exam are purely numerical in nature.
  • So, give utmost importance to solving the exercise questions.
  • Practicing exercise questions is enough for getting a good grip over the subject.

 

Conclusion-

 

  • The textbook covers all the topics mentioned in the GATE syllabus.
  • The well-curated exercise questions provide sufficient practice to solve GATE questions.
  • Overall, covering this book alone is sufficient for GATE preparation of this subject.
  • You need not to refer anything else.

 

THIS BOOK IS SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR GATE EXAM.

 

 

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Other Recommended Books-

 

Modern Digital Electronics By R P Jain-

 

 

Introduction to Formal Languages & Automata | Automata Books

Theory of Automata & Computation Books

Introduction to Formal Languages & Automata By Peter Linz

 

This article reviews the book “An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata“ by Peter Linz.

The article covers-

  • Special features of book
  • Analysis of Content
  • Analysis of Exercises
  • Necessary Instructions
  • Conclusion

 

Why Should Be Read?

 

Special Features of Book-

 

The special features of this book are-

  • It is the best book among the all the available reference books for this subject.
  • It covers all the GATE topics in detail without getting verbose.
  • It explains the content in a pretty simple and straight forward language.
  • It makes the subject fun to read.
  • It is suitable for beginners as well as intermediate students.
  • Turing Machines and Undecidability are covered in a very clear and crisp manner.
  • It contains large number of exercise questions yet the quality is pretty good.

 

Analysis of Content-

 

The following table analyzes sections of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. GATE Relevant Sections GATE Topics Covered
1 All Sections Introduction
2 2.1 Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA)
2.2 Non-Deterministic Finite Automata (NFA)
2.3 to 2.4 Equivalence of DFA and NFA, Minimizing States
3 3.1 to 3.2 Regular Expression, Regular Language and Regular Grammar
4 4.1 to 4.3 Closure Properties, Pumping Lemma for Regular Languages
5 5.1 to 5.3 Context Free Grammars- Parsing and Ambiguity
6 6.1 Grammar Transformations

(Removing Epsilon and Unit Productions)
6.2 Chomsky and Greibach Normal Forms
7 7.1 to 7.3 Non-Deterministic PDA, Deterministic PDA and Context-Free Languages
8 8.1 Pumping Lemma for Context Free Languages
8.2 Closure Properties of Context Free Languages
9 9.1 to 9.3 Turing Machine
10 All Sections Variations of Turing Machine and Linear Bound Automata
11 All Sections Hierarchy of Languages
12 All Sections Undecidability, TM Halting Problem, Post Correspondence Problem

Covering Only These Sections Is Enough

 

Analysis of Exercises-

 

The following table analyzes exercises of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. Question No.
2 2.1-1 to 2.1-16, 2.1-24, 2.2-2 to 2.2-16, 2.3-1, 2.3-2, 2.3-3, 2.3-6,
2.3-7, 2.3-8, 2.3-9, 2.3-11, 2.3-12, 2.3-14, 2.3-15, 2.4-1, 2.4-2, 2.4-
4, 2.4-5, 2.4-9
3 3.1-1 to 3.1-17, 3.1-24, 3.1-25, 3.1-26, 3.2-1 to 3.2-6, 3.2-8 to 3.2-
13, 3.2-17, 3.2-18, 3.3-1 to 3.3-13, 3.3-16
4 4.1-2, 4.1-5, 4.1-6 to 4.1-18, 4.1-22 to 4.1-26, 4.3-1 to 4.3-15, 4.3-
17, 4.3-18
5 5.1-2 to 5.1-22, 5.2-1 to 5.2-8, 5.2-10 to 5.2-16
6 6.1-2, 6.1-3, 6.1-5 to 6.1-9, 6.1-14, 6.1-19, 6.1-22 to 6.1-24, 6.2-2
to 6.2-16
7 7.1-1 to 7.1-15, 7.2-1 to 7.2-16, 7.3-1 to 7.3-18
8 8.1-1 to 8.1-15, 8.1-20, 8.2-1 to 8.2-19
9 9.1-2 to 9.1-12, 9.2-2 to 9.2-5
10 10.1-1, 10.1-4, 10.1-7, 10.2-1 to 10.2-6, 10.4-5, 10.4-8, 10.4-9,
10.5-4 to 10.5-6
11 11.1-1 to 11.1-19, 11.2-1, 11.2-4, 11.2-7, 11.3-1 to 11.3-4
12 12.1-5, 12.1-7, 12.1-9, 12.1-13, 12.1-16, 12.2-2 to 12.2-8, 12.3-1,
12.3-3, 12.3-5, 12.4-2 to 12.4-9

Practicing Only These Exercises Is Enough

 

Necessary Instructions-

 

Keep the following instructions in mind while reading the book-

  • The book has nearly 400 pages.
  • The number of pages is considerably less as compared to other books.
  • Apart from two chapters, all the chapters have GATE relevant topics.
  • So, there is not much to filter while reading the book.
  • Lay down extra emphasis on the topics of Undecidability.
  • This portion gets asked every year in the GATE exam.
  • Sections like Regular Languages and CFLs are also asked every year.
  • The book contains the proofs for theorems but they are not required for GATE.
  • You may go through the proofs for thorough understanding if you have ample time.
  • Once you start understanding the intuition of proofs, you will start loving this subject.
  • The questions asked in exam are numerical in nature.
  • So, focus on practicing numerical questions for thorough grip over the subject.
  • Solving even 75% of the exercise questions mentioned above is more than enough for GATE.

 

Conclusion-

 

  • The content of this textbook is quite close to all the topics mentioned in the GATE syllabus.
  • So, reading this book will ensure all the topics are covered.
  • The exercise questions are pretty good for numerical practice while preparing for GATE.

 

THIS BOOK IS A ONE STOP SOLUTION FOR GATE EXAM.

 

 

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Other Recommended Books-

 

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages & Computation By Ullman-

 

 

Introduction to the Theory of Computation By Michael Sipser-

 

 

Compiler Design Aho Ullman | Best Compiler Design Books

Compiler Design Books

Compilers Principles, Techniques & Tools By Aho, Sethi & Ullman

 

This article reviews the book “Compilers Principles, Techniques and Tools” by Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, D. Jeffrey Ullman and Monica S. Lam.

The article covers-

  • Special features of book
  • Analysis of Content
  • Analysis of Exercises
  • Necessary Instructions
  • Conclusion

 

Why Should Be Read?

 

Special Features of Book-

 

The special features of this book are-

  • It is the best book among the few available reference books for this subject.
  • It covers much more than what is present in the GATE syllabus.
  • It discusses the content in quite clear, simple and lucid style.
  • It is suitable for beginners as well as intermediate students.
  • It has sufficient number of exercise questions which are high in quality.

 

Analysis of Content-

 

The following table analyzes sections of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. GATE Relevant Sections GATE Topics Covered
1 All Sections Introduction to Compilers
2 All Sections Basics of Syntax Directed Translator
3 3.1 to 3.5 Lexical Analysis and Tokens
4 4.1.1 Introduction to Syntax Analysis
4.1.2
4.2 Context Free Grammars

(Overlaps with Theory of Computation Syllabus)
4.3
4.4 Top-Down Parsing
4.5 Bottom-Up Parsing
4.6 to 4.9 LR Parsing and Parser Generators
5 All Sections Syntax Directed Translation
6 6.1 Directed Acyclic Graphs
6.2 Three Address Code
6.6 Control Flow and Backpatching
6.7
7 7.2 Stack Allocation & Accessing Data on Stack
7.3
7.4 Heap Management

Covering Only These Sections Is Enough

 

Analysis of Exercises-

 

The following table analyzes exercises of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. Question No.
1 1.6.1, 1.6.2, 1.6.3, 1.6.4
2 2.2.1 to 2.2.6, 2.3.1 to 2.3.5, 2.4.1, 2.6.1 to 2.6.3
3 3.1.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 3.3.9, 3.3.10
4 4.2.1 to 4.2.8, 4.3.1 to 4.3.3, 4.4.1, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 4.4.5, 4.4.6,
4.4.7, 4.5.1 to 4.5.3, 4.6.1 to 4.6.7, 4.7.1 to 4.7.5, 4.8.1
5 5.1.1 to 5.1.3, 5.2.1 to 5.2.5, 5.3.1 to 5.3.3, 5.4.2 to 5.4.6, 5.5.1
to 5.5.5
6 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.2.1, 6.2.2, 6.2.3, 6.6.1, 6.6.3, 6.6.4, 6.6.5, 6.6.6,
6.7.1 to 6.7.3
7 7.2.1 to 7.2.5, 7.3.1, 7.3.2, 7.4.1

Practicing Only These Exercises Is Enough

 

Necessary Instructions-

 

Keep the following instructions in mind while reading the book-

  • The book has nearly 1000 pages.
  • So, be selective and read only the relevant sections from the book.
  • If you follow the GATE syllabus, the number of pages reduces significantly.
  • Target code generation and code optimization are no longer the part of syllabus.
  • From the past 2-3 years, the weightage of this subject has reduced.
  • In last previous years, there have been hardly one or two questions asked.
  • So, prepare accordingly keeping in mind the weightage of this subject.
  • The exercise questions of this book are at par with the level of questions asked in the GATE exam.
  • Practicing exercise questions along with previous year questions is sufficient to perform excellent.

 

Conclusion-

 

  • This textbook covers many more topics than those mentioned in the GATE syllabus.
  • Reading in accordance with the above discussed sections ensure all the topics are covered.
  • The exercise questions are excellent for practice while preparing for GATE.
  • This book is a must read for students to understand how a compiler actually works.

 

THIS BOOK IS SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR GATE EXAM.

 

 

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Other Recommended Books-

 

Compiler Design By O.G. Kakde-

 

 

Computer Organization Hamacher | Best COA Books

Computer Organization & Architecture Books

Computer Organization By Carl Hamacher

 

This article reviews the book “Computer Organization” by Carl Hamacher, Zvonko Vranesic and Saftwat Zaky.

The article covers-

  • Special features of book
  • Analysis of Content
  • Analysis of Exercises
  • Necessary Instructions
  • Conclusion

 

Why Should Be Read?

 

Special Features of Book-

 

The special features of this book are-

  • It contains the most recommended text for this subject.
  • It has simple diagrams which are quite clear in their meanings.
  • Its examples very well explains how the concepts are implemented in modern computer systems.
  • The explanation of Memory System topic is the best among all the textbooks on this subject.
  • It has high quality numerical questions in its exercises which are very useful for practice.

 

Analysis of Content-

 

The following table analyzes sections of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. GATE Relevant Sections GATE Topics Covered
1 1.2 Functional Units of Computer
1.4 Number Representation

(Signed Magnitude, 1’s and 2’s Complement System)
2 2.1 Memory and Addresses
2.2
2.5 Addressing Modes
2.7 Input / Output Operations
2.9 Subroutines
4 4.2 Interrupts
4.4 Direct Memory Access (DMA)
4.5 Buses
5 5.1 to 5.9 Memory System

(Organization of RAM Chip, Cache Memory, Virtual Memory etc)
6 6.1 Signed Number Addition Using Adders
6.2
6.4 Booth’s Algorithm
6.7 Floating Point Number Representation

(Listed Under Digital Logic in GATE Syllabus)
7 7.1 to 7.5 Processing and Control Unit

(Hardwired, Microprogrammed)
8 8.1 to 8.5 Pipelining

(Basics, Hazards, Operand Forwarding, Branch Prediction etc)

Covering Only These Sections Is Enough

 

Analysis of Exercises-

 

The following table analyzes exercises of the book that are relevant for GATE-

 

Chapter No. Question No.
1 1.5, 1.6
2 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.8, 2.13, 2.17, 2.20
4 4.3, 4.8, 4.12, 4.20
5 5.1, 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.13, 5.14, 5.16, 5.18, 5.19, 5.21, 5.25, 5.27, 5.29
6 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.17, 6.22, 6.25, 6.26, 6.27
7 7.4, 7.5, 7.8, 7.18, 7.21, 7.26, 7.30
8 8.1, 8.2, 8.13, 8.14, 8.15

Practicing Only These Exercises Is Enough

 

Necessary Instructions-

 

Keep the following instructions in mind while reading the book-

  • Many students find this subject comparatively tough for GATE exam.
  • The questions asked in the exam are highly conceptual in nature.
  • Be thorough with the concepts.
  • Read the relevant sections thoroughly.
  • Multiple readings may be needed for some sections.
  • Give utmost importance to the topics of Memory System and Pipelining.
  • It is very essential to solve the exercises to get a good grip over the subject.

 

Conclusion-

 

  • This textbook caters the need of all the students pretty well.
  • The carefully-curated examples make this book insightful to read.
  • The exercise questions are rich in quality.
  • Some questions are above the level of questions asked in the GATE exam.
  • The chapters of Memory System, Arithmetic and Pipelining are covered in great depth.
  • Overall, this book is a must read while preparing this subject for GATE exam.

 

THIS BOOK IS SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR GATE EXAM.

 

 

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Other Recommended Books-

 

Computer Organization: A Quantitative Approach By Hennesy and Patterson-

 

 

Computer Organization and Architecture By William Stallings-