Resources I followed during my preparation

Question

• Click to read My preparation experience.

• GATE syllabus wallpaper for mobile.

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Books I read :
 

Subject	Name and Author	Relevant Chapters
Algorithm and DS	Introduction to Algorithms, by CLRS  (3E) Algorithm Design, Jon Kleinberg and Éva Tardos	ch 1-4, 6-9,10, 11.1-11.4, 12.1-21.3, 15, 16.1-16.3, 17, 21-25.2 ch 1-6
Discrete Mathematics	Discrete mathematics and its applications by Kenneth H. Rosen (Indian 7E) Discrete mathematics with applications by Susanna S. Epp (4E) Concrete Mathematics by Donald Knuth, Oren Patashnik, and Ronald Graham (not required for GATE)	ch 1,2, 4-8, 11.1-11.3 ch 1, 2.1-2.3, 3, 4(optional), 5.1, 5.5-5.7, 6-10, 11-12(optional) ch 1-3, 5, 7-9
Computer Networks	Data Communications and Networking by Behrouz A. Forouzan (5E)	1.1-1.3,  2, 3.6, 8-10, 11.1-2, 12, 13.1-13.2, 17.1, 18-19.2, 20-21.2, 23-24.3, 25.1-25.2, 26
Theory of Computation	An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata by Peter Linz (6E)	ch 1.2, 1.3, 2-12, Appendix-A
Digital Logic	Digital Logic and Computer Design by M. Morris Mano	1.1-1.8, 2.1-2.7, 3-7
Computer Organization	Computer Organisation by Carl Hamacher Computer Organization and Design: the Hardware/Software Interface by David A Patterson and John L. Hennessy (5E)	ch 1.6, 2.1-2.5, 2.9, 2.10, 4.1-4.2,4.4-4.6, 5.1,5.2, 5.4-5.8, 5.9.1, 6.1-6.4, 6.7.1, 7, 8.1-8.5, 8.8, 1, 2, 4.1-4.9, 4.14, 5.1-5.10
C	The C Programming Language by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie (2E)	ch 1-8
Operating System	Operating Systems by Avi Silberschatz, Greg Gagne, and Peter Baer Galvin (International 9E)	ch 2.1-2.5, 3, 4.1-4.3, 4.6, 5.1-5.3, 6.1-6.10, 7, 8.1-8.6, 91.-9.6, 9.9, 10, 11.1-11.5, 12.1-12.6
Databases	Fundamentals of Database Systems by Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe (7E)	ch 1.3-1.6, 2.1-2.3, 3, 5-8, 9.1, 14.1-14.5, 14.6-14.7(just overview), 15.1-15.4, 16.1-16.7, 17.1-17.6, 20.1-20.5, 21.1-21.4, 21.7

1. Read every required topic and solved almost all related exercises from these books.
2. Read every gate-related topic from underlined books, but didn’t solve any exercise problem.
3. referred to other mentioned text for few topics and few exercise problems
4. for all the subjects or topics I left above, didn't read any book.

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Video lectures I studied from :

 

Subject	reference links	lecture numbers
Algorithm and DS	Introduction to Algorithms (SMA 5503), MIT OCW Algorithms by Shai Simonson Algorithmic Toolbox, Coursera Algorithm Specialization (Stanford)	1-7, 15-19  1-4, 6-8, 11-15     unofficial link can watch the complete course. it’s amazing, can watch it all.
Discrete Mathematics	Discrete Mathematics by Shai Simonson	1-19 (all except last)  unofficial link
Theory of Computation	Theory of Computation by Shai Simonson	1-4, 6,7, 9, 11-13, 15,16, 18, 19  GO playlist
Computer Organization	High Performance Computing by Prof. Matthew Jacob IISc Computer Architecture by Prof. Anshul Kumar IIT Delhi	I would suggest watch all from 1-28 or GO playlist 7-12, 13-14(optional), 15,16, 17-22(recommended if you have extra time),  23-32, 34-37   (lots of extra things in IITD videos, you can skip as per your interest)
Operating System	High Performance Computing by Prof. Matthew Jacob IISc Operating Systems by Mythili Vutukuru IIT Bombay	covered in CO section or GO playlist
Compilers	Compilers by Prof. Alex Aiken Stanford University	week 2-9 (skip Cool Type Checking in week 6)
Linear Algebra	MIT 18.06 Linear Algebra by Prof. Gilbert Strang	1-10, 14,16-21   for interviews I suggest you watch it all, it just amazing how intuitively he taught everything.
Probability	Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability  (best lectures acc. to me) Statistics 110: Probability	1-8, 13-15  GO playlist
Graph Theory	Graph Theory by Dr. L. Sunil Chandran IISc	1, 2, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, Please note this is a graduate-level course, if you have less time/interest in this topic avoid watching these lectures, better go with a book.
Group Theory	Introduction to Abstract Group Theory by Krishna Hanumanthu, CMI	1-9, 16

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I also read these notes by Manu Thakur as a revision and just to check in case if I’m missing any topic, they are nicely compiled and only a few topics are not covered by these notes.

 

Not everything I mentioned is important for GATE, One should be smart enough to filter out what to read/watch from these references, I haven’t added any extra reference here... I have followed every single reference mentioned, I was enjoying learning specially all these maths lectures, I watched lots of out of the syllabus stuff on these topics. I left it for you to filter the necessary topics at your convenience. One person might need a different approach, go according to what is best for you... don’t restrict yourself just to these... explore more and more.

I solved NPTEL assignments as well, You can get those just by a Google search, If you couldn’t find them let me know, I’ll add links to those as well.

and a special Thanks to GO, most of the resources here were recommended by GO, you can find those here: best-books and best-videos

 

you can find all my GATE related bookmarks here, download this file and open it with any browser, you’ll get some of the additional links I followed plus links to NPTEL courses from where you can download the assignments and official page for many courses I referred, you can check their tests/assignments as well. 

Most of the questions in these NPTEL assignments are of 1 mark level (still worth trying if you have time, you’ll find lots of interesting things), I first solved all pyqs (including TIFR problems) once before touching any extra question.

It’s up to you how you wanna use these assignments.

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A nice website collecting most nptel courses and some additional useful links

Comments

Nikhil bro how much rank and score did you get..if you don't mind me asking

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rank/score : 8/980

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congratulation,well deserved brother.

just a few queries...

how much marks you get in aptitude part out of 15 and how many you leave them out of 10? And How many hours you studied each day?

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Thanks bro,

will be writing preparation schedule and strategy very soon..  I'm getting lots of such queries..

12 out of 15 in aptitute, attempted 8/10, all correct, left 2 english question(worth 3 marks in total), left one of them with 1% doubt.

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Congratulations.....and yeah will be waiting for your blog

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Congrats 🥳

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Awesome. I would recommend everyone who has the time (a whole year, or is giving the 2nd time around), to follow the resources mentioned here. I know i would've done the same :D

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the sentences highlighted by you in blue color were your preferred resources ?

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Congrats bro!.. As the MASTER OF SELF STUDY😅 please tell me what's the best approach to absorb everything from textbooks and how to learn in the best possible way?

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Congrats bro for your success

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Thanks everyone..  @tirth_patel bro, only you could ans this question, because you know yourself best.. you know your caliber and speed to grasp the concepts.. ask this yourself.. I have shared my schedule in another blog, you can read that to take some inspiration, but in the end it all depends on you.

plus you do not need to absorb everything from the book, you just need to understand the concepts which are related to GATE.. books usually have additional stuffs.

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Ok, thanks. Surely I'll build my strategy acc. to my caliber!

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Hi Nikhil!!!

Please link your schedule which you have posted since I cannot find it here!

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https://gateoverflow.in/blog/12907/a-journey-to-air-8-you-can-do-it-if-you-trust-yourself-enough#c12909

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Please sir add nptel assignment it will be helpful

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Hello please can you elaborate about the sub topics which you have read from each text? lIke this : please. It shall speed up the study process of many... As many students like me, who are keen on learning, cannot skip topics on their own...

Subject	Name and Author
Algorithm and DS	Introduction to Algorithms, by CLRS  [ Sections 2.1, 2.2,3.1,3.2 .....] Algorithm Design, Jon Kleinberg and Éva Tardos [2.1.1, ....]

Believe me then this post of yours shall be just golden...

You say you that you studied "every related gate topics" from these books. But please please please can you just share the sub topics as well. I beg of you. It won't take a lot of time. It shall help many, you do not have any proper guidance of what to read and what not to read...

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Now coming to the videos which you have watched,... Could you please filter out the videos which are required for gate.... like 

Graph Theory

1. Graph Theory by Dr. L. Sunil Chandran IISc (videos 1,2,4,5,10,20,...)

Group Theory

1. Introduction to Abstract Group Theory by Krishna Hanumanthu, CMI (videos 1,2,4,5,10,20,...) 

This again shall not take a lot of time since you have given the exam very recently. Please can you help people like me. I beg of you... I ask these for the videos as well because in advanced courses like the Graph theory by Dr Sunil Chandra for example, it is quite hard to make out which one to filter out without wasting a huge of amount of time in going through all the videos and finding out that it was probably not required. You could save a lot of time for the future aspirants.

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I am a third year student, gave GATE 2021 by following video lectures of a gate cs teacher (won't name anyone) and solved PYQ from GO and had studied only those texts of subjects which were there in my Btech curriculum before the beginning of 3rd year. I have secured a rank around 380 and feel that building intuition from standard texts is very very important...And that's the reason why I feel I am in the same the same position as you were in your first attempt. I too want to secure a 1 digit rank like you....

Please help me. Please elaborate your resource lists....

thank you. With all my heart. And Congratulations...

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@Jay okay,  I'll add as much as I could.., give first preference to pyqs and book excercise (not every exercise is imp), then go for nptel assignment or any foreign uni. course's assignment.. (again all this is not necessary that everyone should do it, it' depends on how much time do you have and how much practice you want to do, plus if you get a command in any topic, you can skip solving extra problems for that topic, pyqs are necessary, they will give you a taste of actual problems you'll be facing, solve every pyq in GO pdf, including TIFR qns)

@shinichi, okay I'll update.. you can look into "what to read by bikram Sir", it's something exactly you are asking for.. here

to be honest everyone should do it on their own.. if one can't differentiate between what to read then trust it's more difficult to understand those concepts.. filtering the topics is the easiest job.. But yeah I'll save some time.. I'll do it.. But again don't restrict yourself to just these references.. explore more nd more..

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Where did you complete the Lattice and Partial order part?

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Indian edition of the book Rosen has everything.

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Hey @Nikhil_dhama can you please post the link for nptel assignment. It would be very helpful

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@Aditya added all links, you can check them now

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@Nikhil_dhama

 how to prepare for 2 marks questions which were being asked this time as they were phrased in a different manner as compared to previous years and from where to prepare such questions.

your reply can save my career!!!

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@Nikhil_dhama I have tried to open TOC lecture of pro Shai Simonson from the link you have mentioned but videos are not opening can you please tell me how to open them?

 

 

 

 

 

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@Sarvesh, better watch those videos here: https://www.youtube.com/c/GATEOverflowofficial/playlists

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sarvesh purohit, either download read media player or some plugins for vlc, or best prefer playlists given on GO channel.

or you can simply search the subject with the professor's name on YouTube, lots of playlists will pop up as here.

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all relevant chapters and videos are added now.

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thank you😃

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Brother can u please from the graph theory books which chapters are relevant?

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@Madhab See the topics here and match it with the standard books your are reading.

Introduction-definition of graph, simple graph, finite graph, degree of a vertex, isolated and pendant vertices, null graph, subgraph of a graph, walk-open and closed, path, circuit,Euler line, Euler graph, Hamiltonian circuit, Hamiltonian path, examples, Complete graph, tree, eccentricity-centre, spanning tree of graph, connected components of graph, branch, chord, rank and nullity of graph, distance in spanning tree, Cut-set - some lemmas
Graph colouring- chromatic number, matching.

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Are u following Narsingh Deo book??

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Hello ,

I have been searching internet for the solutions of the exercises at back of Standard books as you mentioned you have solved the exercise questions for quite a few can you please share the resourse from where we can get authentic solutions to the standard book exercises that will be a great great help and time saver for all.

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"Data Communications and Networking by Behrouz A. Forouzan (5E)" - 5th Edition

Does anyone have this book pdf?

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@Polly

 

"Data Communications and Networking by Behrouz A. Forouzan (5E)" - 5th Edition ....

 

1. Book : https://1lib.in/book/2196530/3bfbaf

 

2. Solution (book) : https://1lib.in/book/1201808/d09f03?dsource=recommend 

 

3. https://gateoverflow.in/blog/13639/computer-network-resources

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Thank you very much! :)

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Can any one share pdf of theses two books along with solution manuals --

1. An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata by Peter Linz (6E) - 6th edition

2. Computer Organisation by Carl Hamacher (latest available edition)

Thank you

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Thank you very much for helping.

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How you solved every problems from Discrete Mathematics book ? Give me some suggestions 🙏