Curriculum/stl-algorithms
STL Algorithms
optimization·L1 · combinator·stub
Replacesthe belief that hand-written for-loops are 'just as fast' as `std::transform`.
STL algorithms (`std::transform`, `std::accumulate`, `std::sort`, `std::partition`, `std::find_if`) compose with iterators and views; the compiler often vectorises them via auto-vectorisation when a hand-loop would not (the indirection through the algorithm hides the loop's escape conditions). Ranges (C++20) extend the model to lazy pipelines — the C++ equivalent of Polars lazy expressions.
Prerequisites
Bridges
- auto-vectorization-compilershared mechanismSTL algorithms compile to vectorised loops more reliably than hand-written for-loops because the algorithm's iterator contract gives the compiler stronger aliasing and termination guarantees. Same SIMD substrate (Stage 2 vectorization); different API surface.
- ranges-v3-cpp20model to implementationC++20 ranges express analytics pipelines as lazy view chains: `vec | filter(pred) | transform(f) | take(n)`. The semantic model is Polars's LazyFrame — same predicate pushdown, same operator fusion, expressed in C++ instead of Python.
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Author at: content/concepts/stl-algorithms/card.ts