Honestly? No.
Most pirated DSA PDFs are missing:
You’re better off using free, maintained resources like: anshuman sharma data structure pdf free
Many students have uploaded forks of his notes with proper attribution. Search GitHub for Anshuman-Sharma-Notes. Always check the license; most are marked as free for educational use.
A quick Google search reveals dozens of shady websites claiming to host the "free PDF." These include file-sharing platforms like CourseHeaven, Telegram channels, StudyTosuccess, and PDF Drive. While the temptation to click "Download Now" is high, you must be aware of the risks. Honestly
Studies in cognitive science suggest that handwritten or handwritten-style notes activate the brain differently than typed fonts. Sharma’s notes mimic the look of a topper’s notebook—arrows, underlines, and margin scribbles—which makes memorizing time complexities and algorithm steps easier.
The free PDF circulating online is often an older version (circa 2018-2019). Data structures themselves don’t change, but the problem sets and coding conventions (e.g., C++11 vs C++20) do. You might waste time learning obsolete syntax or missing out on new patterns like Sliding Window or Monotonic Stack problems that are popular in 2024/2025 interviews. You’re better off using free, maintained resources like:
University exams rarely ask LeetCode Hard problems. Instead, they focus on:
Many of the algorithms Anshuman explains align with GFG’s DSA Self-Paced structure. Use GFG’s free articles – they are often the source material.