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Introduction To Programming With Python

The document outlines a course on programming with Python, focusing on establishing common terminology, computational thinking, and Python fundamentals including variables, loops, and functions. It emphasizes the importance of algorithms and flow charts in programming, providing a primality test algorithm as an example. Additionally, it includes resources for interactive learning and Python notebooks.

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2 views10 pages

Introduction To Programming With Python

The document outlines a course on programming with Python, focusing on establishing common terminology, computational thinking, and Python fundamentals including variables, loops, and functions. It emphasizes the importance of algorithms and flow charts in programming, providing a primality test algorithm as an example. Additionally, it includes resources for interactive learning and Python notebooks.

Uploaded by

suadg73
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Introduction to

Programming with Python


Hussam Alafandi
Goals of this Course
 Common Ground Establishing shared terminology, tools, and mental models.

 Computational Thinking From plain text to flow charts, and finally into executable code.

 Python Fundamentals Variables, loops, functions, and an introduction to OOP.

 Working with Data Working with NumPy and Pandas—the core tools for Data Science.

 Capstone: Complete Python Project Finish with a real-world project built end-to-end.
Today's Agenda
 Introduction & Goals Introduction to the course and goals (this notebook)

 Algorithms How to think about a problem step-by-step

 Flow Charts Drawing the algorithm visually

 Tools Python, Jupyter notebooks, Google Colab

 6. Python Fundamentals Unit 2: variables, types, operators, I/O

 7. Control Flow Unit 3: conditionals, loops


Algorithms & Programming
What is programming? Programming is telling a computer how to solve a problem in steps so
precise that a machine can follow them without guessing.

A Useful Mental Model

Problem Algorithm Flow Chart Code

Flow Chart: A visual picture including decisions and


 Problem: What we want to solve, in everyday words.
 loops.

 Algorithm: A clear sequence of steps to solve it.


 Code: Steps written in a language (like Python).

"The hard part is rarely the code. The hard part is thinking clearly about the steps."
What is an Algorithm?
Algorithm: A finite sequence of well-defined steps that solves a problem.

Properties of a Good Algorithm

Finite Unambiguous
It must end after a known number of steps. Each step has exactly one meaning.

Effective Has Input & Output


Each step can actually be performed. It takes something in and produces something useful.
Primality Test Algorithm
Problem: Checking if a given number 'n' is prime by searching for any divisors between 2 and n-1.

01 Input: Read a number n.

02 Base Case: If n < 2, it is NOT PRIME. Stop.

03 Initialize: Set divisor i = 2.

04 Iterative Search: While i < n:

● If n % i == 0, then NOT PRIME. Stop.


● Otherwise, increment i by 1.

05 Conclusion: If loop finishes, n is PRIME.


Flow Chart Symbols
 Oval — Start / End

Parallelogram — Input / Output

Rectangle — Process / Action


Assignment, calculation, or specific task execution.

Diamond — Decision Yes / No)

Arrow — Direction of Flow


Example: Check Prime
Goal: Determining if a specific number is prime using the primality test algorithm.

View Interactive Board


Learning Materials

Interactive Flowchart Board Excalidraw)


 [Link]

Python Colab Notebook: Part 1


 [Link]


Python Colab Notebook: Part 2
[Link]
Resources

CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python


 [Link]

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