The author stumbled upon the world of succinct data structures while searching for ways to optimize code. He found himself talking to a renowned expert in the field, Gonzalo Navarro, who introduced him to concepts he had never encountered before. Succinct data structures, like rank/select bit vectors and wavelet matrices, aim to efficiently store data while allowing quick access. The author delves into the applications of these structures in Rust programming and beyond, highlighting the potential they hold for memory optimization and performance improvements. The unique properties and capabilities of succinct data structures are explored, shedding light on a relatively recent advancement in computer science.
https://blog.startifact.com/posts/succinct/