This course consists of a sequence of six explorations, assembled to provide a tour through data structure applications and algorithmic design. Built around topics from arts, sciences, and technology, the explorations are thought provoking and engaging. You will emerge from the course with increased proficiency in Python programming, and with a broad spectrum of tools for algorithmic problem solving.
Key insight: The pieces never change. You’re learning to see how the same fundamental components can be combined differently to solve different problems.
This is exactly how programming works:
Decomposition: Breaking complex problems into simpler pieces
Reusability: The same building blocks (variables, loops, conditionals, functions) solve countless different problems
Composition: Different arrangements of the same pieces create different solutions
Just like tangram pieces, programming constructs don’t change. What changes is how you arrange them.
Elegance
We’re going to spend some time on another conceptual metaphor…
A poser: What does it mean for something to be elegant?
Elegance Example?
Scissors
Summary
Today we have begun to introduce some of the themes and ideas that we’ll see all term long:
Counting steps: what’s the best that can happen? what’s the worst?
Piazza piazza.com/ubc.ca/winterterm22025/cpsc203 Post questions for quick response.
