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wtf is elixir?

thealgorithms/elixir — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-23 · repo last pushed 2024-06-24

263ElixirAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5DormantSetup · easy

TL;DR

A collection of classic algorithms like sorting and pathfinding written in Elixir for learning. The code focuses on being clear and readable rather than fast, making it great for students and Elixir beginners.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Shows algorithm code
      Organized by category
      Educational focus
    Tech stack
      Elixir
      Standard library
    Use cases
      Learn algorithms
      Learn Elixir syntax
      Compare implementations
    Audience
      Algorithm learners
      Elixir beginners
      Contributors

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Study how sorting and pathfinding algorithms work by reading clear Elixir code.

REASON 2

Learn Elixir syntax and functional programming patterns through real algorithm examples.

REASON 3

Contribute a new algorithm or improve existing code as part of a community learning project.

What's in the stack?

Elixir

How it stacks up

thealgorithms/elixirthatsme/alexclawatuinsh/atuin-ai-server
Stars26311453
LanguageElixirElixirElixir
Last pushed2024-06-24
MaintenanceDormant
Setup difficultyeasyhardmoderate
Complexity1/54/53/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Just clone and browse the code files, no build step or dependencies required to read and learn from the implementations.

Open source project welcoming community contributions, though the specific license is not stated in the README.

Wtf does this do

This repository is a collection of classic computer algorithms written in the Elixir programming language, designed for educational purposes. It's part of a larger, community-driven effort to show how common algorithms work in many different languages. Algorithms are basically step-by-step recipes for solving problems, like sorting a list of names alphabetically or finding the shortest path between two points. Instead of just describing these recipes in plain English, this project shows the actual code. It covers a wide variety of algorithms, organized in a directory you can browse by category. The main audience is people learning how algorithms work or anyone learning Elixir. If you're a beginner trying to understand a sorting algorithm, you can look at the code here and see exactly how it's built step by step. The project is also open to contributions, meaning people can add new algorithms or improve the explanations. It's not meant to be a production toolkit that you plug into a real app, the README explicitly notes these implementations may be less efficient than what's already built into Elixir's standard library. The main tradeoff here is clarity over performance. Because the goal is teaching, the code is written to be readable and understandable rather than fast or optimized. The README doesn't go into detail about which specific algorithms are included, but points to a separate directory listing for that. There's also a community chat where contributors can discuss the project and ask questions.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Show me the Elixir implementation of sorting algorithms in this repo and walk through how each step works for a beginner.
Prompt 2
I want to contribute a new algorithm to this Elixir algorithms collection. What categories already exist and how should I structure my code to match the educational style?
Prompt 3
Help me compare two algorithm implementations from this repo by reading their code and explaining which one is easier to understand and why.
Prompt 4
I am learning Elixir. Pick an algorithm from this repo, show me the code, and explain the functional programming patterns it uses like recursion and pattern matching.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is elixir?

A collection of classic algorithms like sorting and pathfinding written in Elixir for learning. The code focuses on being clear and readable rather than fast, making it great for students and Elixir beginners.

What language is elixir written in?

Mainly Elixir. The stack also includes Elixir.

Is elixir actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2024-06-24).

What license does elixir use?

Open source project welcoming community contributions, though the specific license is not stated in the README.

How hard is elixir to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is elixir for?

Mainly developer.

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