Mathematics & Theoretical CS: what Hacker News watches
9 topics, 358 videos. Pick a topic for a focused list, or scan the 100 best-scored across the whole area below.
- 9 HN recommenders 10 months 2018–2026HN repeatedly cites it as the definitive explanation of SwissTable, the design behind Abseil, Rust's hash map and Go's maps.
- 7 HN recommenders 8 months 2021–2026R Reducible · explainerHN repeatedly calls it a fantastic explanation that made FFT click, with some rewatching it periodically.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2016–2025HN treats it as the definitive, engaging talk on hash table internals and Python dict ordering, and recommends it in tech-talk lists.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2014–2024A perennial recommendation for anyone learning performance optimization, cited whenever hash tables, cache behavior or STL containers come up.
- 5 HN recommenders 7 months 2017–2025HN people point to it for rrb-trees, text editor data structures and bringing Clojure-style persistent structures to C++.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2024HN recommends it as an entertaining talk that starts simple and goes deep on practical performance optimization.
- 9 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2023It is the default link in any thread about boarding or deplaning order, praised as an excellent, clear treatment.
- 8 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2026HN commenters call it a must-watch for its deadpan, absurdly elaborate engineering and cite it for ideas like diluting strong engines with random moves.
- 3 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2023HN readers recommend it as the best introduction to robust-first computing, where randomness and fault tolerance are built into the architecture.
- 1 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2023HN fans love it for Knuth's humor and for how he makes open math problems feel approachable, and it is often cited for details like dancing links and counting rectangle subdivisions.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2015–2022Strongly recommended as a beautiful demonstration that APL can be read and reasoned about step by step.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2013–2024HN regards it as one of the best technical talks, a deep and clear walkthrough of scalable lock-free hash tables built on compare-and-swap.
- 7 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2024D Defunctland · documentaryHN recommends it as an accessible, engrossing lesson in queueing theory and systems design, even for people with no interest in Disney.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2015–2022HN points to it as a clear explanation of immutable data structures such as tries, and of the case for immutability with React and Flux.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2020Strongly recommended as a clear, accessible survey of the CRDT landscape.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2023Recommended as an approachable introduction to CRDTs and the local-first idea behind apps like Actual.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2021HN commenters call it a beautiful, brilliant demonstration of APL's expressiveness and a model of clear narration.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2023HN points to it as a clear lesson that algebraic properties like associativity unlock parallelism, applicable in any language.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2018HN links it whenever menu hover problems or nearest-to-pointer selection come up, and as proof algorithms matter in front-end work.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2016–2021Recommended as a clear introduction to dynamic programming from a well-regarded instructor.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2020L Life at Google · demoCited as a realistic, well-run example of a technical interview, both for candidates preparing and interviewers calibrating.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2025A Anders Brownworth · tutorialHN repeatedly recommends it as the best ground-up, non-hype introduction for people who want to understand what a blockchain actually is.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2023T Timo Bingmann · demoA classic that HN points to for seeing how sorting algorithms behave, valued for how satisfying it is to watch and hear.
- 5 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024HN points people to it as the explanation that finally made Fourier transforms and the FFT click, with a good historical story.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2021Commenters say it changes how you think about types and the STL, and makes a case for simple modern C++.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2023R Redis · talkRecommended in graph database threads as a mind-blowing case for expressing graph analysis as linear algebra.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2022M Martin Donald · explainerCommenters recommend it as the clearest way to understand WFC, especially in threads about Townscaper and tiled content generation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2022HN calls it a surprisingly fun, approachable talk on a hard problem and cites it in floating-point threads.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2026P Polylog · explainerRecommended as an intuitive, animated explanation of P vs NP framed around reversing computation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2020L LuceneSolrRevolution · talkHN recommends it as an instructive, easy-to-follow look at Lucene internals from a core committer.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2022N Nemean · explainerHN recommends it as an approachable explanation that makes the famous algorithm finally make sense.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2024M Martin Kleppmann · talkRecommended as an excellent first education on CRDTs and their limits.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2022HN recommends it as a clear, high-quality introduction to succinct data structures from a leading authority.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2009–2012R Robin Baumgarten · demoHN points to it as a vivid demo that plain A* search can beat fancier machine-learning approaches in game AI.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2024Recommended in cache-algorithm threads as a fun, informative walk through caching strategies and ARC.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2025HN recommends it as an entertaining demonstration of how powerful algorithmic gerrymandering can be.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2020HN points to it as a simple diff-and-patch alternative to operational transforms and CRDTs for collaborative editing.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2025–2026HN people point to it for intuition about why some games are hard to navigate and for its Rush Hour and graph visualizations.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2021D Dyalog User Meetings · talkHN recommends it as a striking example of high-performance tree handling with array programming.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2026HN points to it as the best explanation of simdjson internals and of why fast parsing is rarely disk-bound.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2021A AlgoRythmics · demoHN recommends it as a memorable and fun way to visualize how sorting algorithms work.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023Cited as an excellent look at Knuth's thinking and working style, and as a likely source for quotes about his habits.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2026HN points to it as the authoritative talk on Swiss tables, their design rationale, and real-world effects like Hyrum's law.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Recommended as a thorough, well-regarded explanation of hash table design tradeoffs and why the standard container is a poor choice.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026T Tom Scott plus · demoHN people link it in discussions of taxi drivers' spatial memory and how cabbies handle roadworks and traffic.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2023HN commenters point to it as programming inspiration and as a source of Bentley's anecdotes about adding function by deleting code.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2023HN points to it as a solid, if long, introduction to B-epsilon trees and why BetrFS is built the way it is.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022HN cites it as an excellent example of solving small cases to find a pattern, and as a favorite puzzle with an elegant binary solution.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2024HN recommends it as the go-to explanation of optimal Wordle openers like CRANE and a friendly introduction to information theory, also relevant to Mastermind.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2021A ACCU Conference · talkHN recommends it as a careful, entertaining talk on low-level optimization that shows how textbook algorithms can be sped up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2025E Edward Kmett · talkCommenters credit it as the place they first learned about succinct data structures, and found it left a lasting impression.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026S switchbg · music videoHN shares it as a fun, memorable way to explain the longest path problem and as an entry in lists of programming and math songs.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2025U Uber Engineering · talkHN points to it as the detailed explanation of why hexagons suit map grids, in threads about H3.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023Cited as a fun example of how algorithmic changes can yield enormous performance gains.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2023F fragglet · demoHN fondly recalls it as the ideal visual demonstration of sorting algorithms and as the thing that got some people into programming.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2021Cited as the source for criticism of std::deque and move-constructor pitfalls, and as motivation to write custom data structures.
- cited 6× 0 months 2017–2023P pkrumins · talkUsed as the go-to citation in LeetCode and hiring debates that competitive programming skill is not a good signal for hiring.
- cited 4× 0 months 2010–2011Z Zelexi · demoCited in discussions of voxel rendering, id Software's research and Euclideon-style claims as an early demonstration of the technique.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2019W weedipikia · comedy videoUsed as a joke or aside about bubble sort and as evidence that Obama was tech savvy, not as something recommended for its content.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2017Cited as the standard example of algorithmic redistricting when gerrymandering and electoral reform come up.
- 17 HN recommenders 18 months 2013–2026HN recommends it repeatedly as one of the best and most entertaining programming talks, and as the talk that makes the Y combinator click, even for people who do not use Ruby.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2012–2024HN commenters call it one of the best security talks and the standard introduction to LANGSEC, which they use to argue for simpler, well-specified input formats.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2015–2026HN regards it as an entertaining and eye-opening introduction to why logic and functional programming are connected, and it is a frequent pick in favorite-tech-talk threads.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2017–2026HN calls it a legendary, clearly explained hacker talk whenever mov-only computing or anti-decompilation comes up.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2021–2024HN commenters recommend it as a clear, accessible introduction to incompleteness and the self-referential proof idea.
- 8 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2025HN repeatedly names it as one of the funniest and best talks, a favorite example of absurd computation.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2013–2025P Phillip Bradbury · demoThe canonical visual for nested simulation, Turing completeness and self-reference; HN readers call it mind-blowing and reach for it constantly.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2024F Fullstack Academy · lectureRepeatedly recommended as one of the most approachable introductions to lambda calculus and combinators.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2025HN recommends it as an accessible explanation of number categories and why almost all numbers are unknowable.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2015–2026H hackerdashery · explainerHN repeatedly recommends it as the best short, funny introduction to P vs. NP and complexity classes for people with no background.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2019Strongly recommended in lambda calculus and Y-combinator threads as a mind-expanding half hour that clarifies the ideas.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2019–2021P PyCon 2019 · tutorialHN calls it a brilliant, mind-bending introduction to lambda calculus for programmers.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2026Repeatedly recommended in best-talks threads as a fun, mind-blowing demonstration of unexpected computation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2019Recommended as a jaw-dropping, must-see talk that gives an amazing intro to static analysis alongside Might's personal story.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2023HN points to it as an accessible long-form introduction to Wolfram's ideas and a window into his passion, though some are critical of his claims.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2026HN recommends it for getting the inventors of major concurrency models together, disagreements included.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023HN recommends it as an accessible way into Wolfram's physics ideas and his personality.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2021HN likes it as a funny, entertaining presentation, frequently linked in threads on NP-hardness of games and NES automation.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025HN recommends Sipser's free lectures as the companion to the standard theory of computation textbook and a path to understanding how computers fundamentally work.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021Recommended as a companion to reading the dense book.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2026B Because Science · demoHN links it as the accessible, hands-on demo behind the claim that Magic is Turing complete.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2022G Giroux Studios · explainerRecommended in large-number threads as going further than other popular videos on Graham's number and ordinals.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023HN points to it as a detailed explanation of Wolfram's physics hypothesis, and for Wolfram's evident passion, though some find it long.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2022Offered as a short, clear explanation of the halting problem and its link to decidability.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2024Cited whenever commenters want to note that Conway did not enjoy being known mainly for the Game of Life.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2025–2026Mentioned in lambda calculus and combinator threads as a visual entry point to the topic.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2025H Harvard CMSA · lecturePointed to in Busy Beaver threads as an accessible expert talk on the topic.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2025B BaronWable · demoHN cites it as an impressive example of building computation inside Dwarf Fortress.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2008–2014L LarryNorman · lectureCited in debates over whether computer science is a science, and for Abelson's line that it is neither a science nor about computers.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2023T TCGplayer · demoCited as the real-world example of an inescapable loop in Magic: The Gathering, in discussions of its Turing completeness.
- cited 4× 0 months 2016–2024R Rational Animations · demoHN commenters use it as an illustration of how simple rules can produce surprisingly complex behavior.
- cited 8× 0 months 2013–2021M MatthiasWandel · demoHN cites it as the classic example of a mechanical binary adder and a source of inspiration for marble-based computers.
- 12 HN recommenders 13 months 2018–2025It is HN's most frequently recommended starting point for quantum computing because it avoids pop-science hand-waving and needs only basic linear algebra.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2023P PBS Infinite Series · explainerHN recommends it as one of the most accessible yet accurate introductions to quantum computing, and part of a wider series that covers Shor's algorithm.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019HN recommends it as a good overview of the NIST candidates and the state of post-quantum crypto.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023HN commenters point to it as a clear, approachable explanation of Shor's algorithm and what quantum computers actually do.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2019P PBS Infinite Series · explainerHN recommends it as a clear, worked explanation of Shor's algorithm for building intuition.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Q Qiskit · talkHN recommends it as an oral history of the algorithm straight from its inventor.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021HN points to it both as an approachable quantum computing intro and as an example of explaining one concept at multiple levels.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2019A Arthur Gleckler · talkRecommended as a real-world case of Lisp in a cutting-edge industry, applied to quantum hardware.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 358. Use search to find the rest.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.