[Apocryphon]

So not that dissimilar from CLRS, then. Despite its introductory title it is very dense and voluminous. Almost more like a graduate level reference.

There really needs to be a text that captures the middle ground between CLRS and Grokking Algorithms and I guess this isn’t it.

[eredengrin]

I'm not familiar with Grokking Algorithms, but fwiw the most important prereq at UIUC for 374 is 173, which also happens to have a free textbook[1] written by another UIUC professor, Margaret Fleck. I consider it to be a high quality introduction to discrete math and have good memories of her as a professor as well.

[1] https://mfleck.cs.illinois.edu/building-blocks/updates-fa201...

[Apocryphon]

Grokking Algorithms is an introductory illustrated book.

https://www.manning.com/books/grokking-algorithms

[bo1024]

Perhaps Algorithms Illuminated (Roughgarden).