CSCI 101: Introduction to Computer Science

Lecture 01: First Program

 Agenda
▪ Computer hardware and software
▪ How to write a program?
▪ Substitution in mathematics & programming
▪ Building our first program
▪ Memory
▪ Getting input / Displaying output
▪ Arithmetic expressions
▪ Sample programs
Computer Hardware

Processor
 Computer Hardware
▪ Input Unit: accepts inputs from users, translates it, and transmits it to the processor (e.g.
keyboard, joystick, microphone and mouse)

▪ Output Unit: display processed information to the outside world (e.g. monitors, printers (2D
and 3D), speakers, and projectors)

▪ Arithmetic and Logic Unit: calculates arithmetic and logical expressions. It reads the
operands from memory, perform the operation and store the resultant value in memory.

▪ Memory Unit: stores programs and data (two classes primary and secondary)

▪ Control unit : coordinates the operation of all other units. It is the nerve center that sends
control signals to all units and senses their status .
 Software Program
▪ A computer can perform a specific set of instructions, one at a time.
▪ Get input (from keyboard to memory)
▪ Display output (from memory to screen)
▪ Compute an arithmetic expression (*, /, +, -)
▪ Compute a logical expression and branch selection
▪ Repeat instructions

▪ A software program is a sequence of such instructions

 Cooking
Introduction to Computer Science
 Introduction to Cooking Science
▪ Cooking recipes can be thought of as simple algorithms
Omelette recipe:
1. Break 2 eggs in the bowl
2. Put grains of salt in the bowl
3. Mix together in the bowl
▪ Common between recipes and algorithms: 4. Pour in a hot pan

▪ Sequence of steps
▪ Performing step 3 means steps 1 and 2 are complete
▪ Has order, changing order MAY ruin it:
▪ Examples:
▪ Swap steps 1 and 2?
▪ Swap steps 2 and 3?
▪ Swap steps 3 and 4?
▪ Dependencies (building on previous steps) is the key to determine the order
 Introduction to Cooking Science
Omelette recipe:
1. Break 2 eggs in the bowl
2. Put grains of salt in the bowl
3. Mix together in the bowl
4. Pour in a hot pan

▪ Add more complexity: keep mixing together till the mixture is

homogeneous.
▪ Use what is called while loop that repeats as long as a condition is
valid (True) Omelette recipe:
1. Break 2 eggs in the bowl
2. Put grains of salt in the bowl The condition that must remain valid for a
3. While not well mixed: while loop to keep iterating / repeating
i. Mix together in the bowl
4. Pour in a hot pan
 Introduction to Cooking Science
▪ What if we want to make 5 Omelette plates?
▪ Repeat the recipe 5 times

Omelette recipe:
1. Repeat 5 times: Count (number of iterations)
i. Break 2 eggs in the bowl
ii. Put grains of salt in the bowl
iii. While not well mixed:
a. Mix together in the bowl
iv. Pour in a hot pan

▪ Called for loop and must repeat for a known number of times
 But…
▪ The previous recipes must be taken with
grains of salt!! Omelette recipe:
1. Repeat 5 times:
▪ These steps are not accurate enough, the i. Break 2 eggs in the bowl
output can be different based on the ii. Put grains of salt in the bowl
iii. While not well mixed:
executer: a. Mix together in the bowl
iv. Pour in a hot pan
▪ How much salt?!!
▪ How well mixed is enough?!!
▪ How hot is the pan?!
▪ An algorithm must obtain the same
expected correct output every run.
 How to write a software program?
1. Read the problem statement, and identify
▪ The input and its range
▪ The output
▪ The relationship between the input and the output (how to compute the
output) [Comprehend or understood]
2. Write your thoughts as a sequence of steps. [Algorithm]
3. Convert these steps to Code. [Program]
4. Test your code and compare your program result against a human
result. [Testing]
 Writing a Computer Program: The Role of Algorithms
▪ An algorithm is a set of steps that describes how a task can be
performed (informal definition).
▪ Fundamental concept of computer science
▪ The word is derived from the famous mathematician Muḥammad ibn
Musa al-Khwarizmi, one of the first Directors of the House of Wisdom (a
major public academy and intellectual center), in Bagdad (9th century).
▪ Began as a subject in mathematics. The goal was to find a single set of
directions that describes how all problems of a particular type could be
solved.
▪ “If no algorithm exists for solving a problem, then the solution of
that problem lies beyond the capabilities of machines.”
1. From the book “Computer Science: an overview” by J. Glenn Brookshear
 Algorithms: Formal Definition
▪ An algorithm is an ordered set of unambiguous, executable steps that defines a
terminating process.
▪ Ordered: Steps are executed in a sequence. (In parallel algorithms, we may have more than one
execution path)
▪ Unambiguous: A single and unique interpretation. The information must be sufficient to determine
uniquely and completely the required actions.
▪ Branch if the value of x is large enough. Is it unambiguous?
▪ Some algorithms (nondeterministic algorithms) do not conform to this restriction.

▪ Executable: A step that can be done.

▪ Make a list of all the positive integers. Is it executable

▪ Terminating: the execution must lead to an end.

▪ There are, however, some meaningful non-terminating processes such as monitoring the vital signs of a patient.

1. From the book “Computer Science: an overview” by J. Glenn Brookshear

 Algorithm Representation
▪ Pseudocode:
▪ An intuitive notational system in which ideas can be expressed informally.
▪ Less formal than target programming language.
▪ Flexible, less complex, and easy to understand compared to formal
programming languages.
▪ Flowchart:
▪ A graphical representation of an algorithm.
▪ Provides a simple way to visualize transitions and analyze the execution
paths.
 Pseudocode: Examples
▪ Write an algorithm to calculate the area of a circle
▪ Determine inputs, outputs, and relation

▪ Step 1: Get Radius from user

▪ Step 2: Set Pi = 3.14
▪ Step 3: Calculate Area = Pi * Radius * Radius
▪ Step 4: Print Area
 Pseudocode: Examples
▪ Write an algorithm to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to
Celsius
▪ Determine inputs, outputs, and relation

T(°C) = (T(°F) - 32) × 5/9

▪ Step 1: Get Temp in Fahrenheit (F) from user

▪ Step 2: Calculate C = 5/9 * (F-32)
▪ Step 3: Print C
 Exercise
▪ Find 𝑿𝟐 and 𝑿𝟑 of any given number X
▪ Determine inputs, outputs, and relation

▪ Step 1: Get X from user

▪ Step 2: Set XSquare = X * X
▪ Step 3: Set XCube = XSquare * X
▪ Step 4: Print XSquare, XCube
 Substitution in Mathematics & Programming
▪ Software evolved first to serve solving mathematical problems.

▪ Therefore, it follows the main concepts of evaluating expressions

▪ Substitution in mathematical expressions works the same way in

code
 Substitution in Mathematics & Programming
𝑥=4
𝑥
𝑦=𝑒
▪ Solving the above mathematically by substituting manually step by
step:
4
𝑦=𝑒
𝑦 = 𝑒2
𝑦 = 2.7182
𝑦 = 7.38
 Substitution in Mathematics & Programming
import the library called
▪ In Python, it is written as: import math math which contains
x = 4 mathematical functions
▪ By substituting step by step: y = [Link]([Link](x))
Refer to the library
1. First 4 is assigned to x before calling any
function from inside it
2. Then x is substituted for, y = [Link]([Link](4))
3. Function [Link](4) is called which takes 4 as an input, gets evaluated
and returns back 2, now y = [Link](2)
4. Function [Link](2) is called which takes 2 as an input, gets evaluated
and returns back 7.38 which gets assigned to y
Exercise:
x = 4
y = [Link]([Link](x/2-2)*[Link])/[Link]([Link]/2)
 Memory
▪ Memory is divided into bytes
x 15
y 12
▪ Each byte has its own address represented
by binary numbers sum 45
A 2
A1 -3
▪ 4 or 8 bytes form a memory location to store
integer or floating (Ex 10.2345) numbers
numOfBus 4

▪ Software programs use letters and numbers

to name the memory location.
 Memory Location Name (Variables)
▪ Variable: a named space for storing a value radius
▪ Valid names:
▪ Must start with a letter or ‘_’ ,
▪ Can contain any combination of letters, digits, or ‘_’.
▪ Use meaningful variable names (avoid reserved words).
▪ Python (as well as most others) is case sensitive (area and Area are
different)
▪ Exercise
Xyz 3xyz x-y ab2cd a12345 myvar AbCdE1234
 Variable Types
▪ Integer:
▪ x = 4
▪ y = x * 2
▪ Using substitution, y = ?
▪ type(x) Built in function to returns the type of
the object
▪ type(y)
▪ type(x * 2)
▪ Again follow substitution
 Variable Types
▪ Float/decimal:
▪ x = 4.0
▪ y = x * 2
▪ Using substitution, y = ?
▪ type(x)
▪ type(y)
▪ type(x * 2)
 Variable Types
▪ String:
▪ x = ‘A’
▪ x = ‘abc’
▪ x = ‘4’
▪ x = ‘4.0’
▪ x*2
▪ x + ‘3’
▪ type(x + ‘3’)
▪ x + 3
 Variable Types
▪ Conversions:
▪ int(‘4’)
▪ int(4.5)
▪ float(‘4.2’)
▪ float(‘4’)
▪ str(4.2)
▪ ‘Area=’ + str(4.2)
 Get Input from User
h ‘5’
h=input(‘Enter height: ’);
Memory location
to store the input Message to the user

Keyword to hold the

program execution to
get input from the keyboard

Enter height: 5

Note: the default input is string data type

 Get Input from User
h 5
h=int(input(‘Enter height: ‘))

Returns (substitutes in its place) the string ‘5’

int(‘5’)=5

Enter height: 5

? Write a Python statement to take the circle radius from the user and store it in ‘R’.
 Display to Screen
print(h) h 5
a 102
Keyword to display
Memory location
to the screen
to display

→ 5

print(a)
→ 102
 Display to Screen
print('Height = ' + str(h)) h 5
→ Height = 5
print('Height =', h) a 102
→ Height = 5
Note regarding separating by a comma:
▪ No type conversion needed
▪ Automatically inserts space between the elements
print('Height =', h, 'and area =', a)
→ Height = 5 and area = 102
 Arithmetic Expressions
Operations
x 4
** Exponentiation (5**2 is 25)
*, /, // Multiplication, division, and floor division y 3.5
+, - Addition and subtraction z 2
Examples a 6.5
x=4; y=3.5; z=2
a = x + y - 5 / (3+z)
b 8.5
b = a + x / 2
(semicolon can be used to separate multiple lines)
Operations are executed only one at a time according to their
precedence (priority). We will study it further in future lectures
 How to write a software program?
1. Read the problem statement, and identify
▪ The input and its range
▪ The output
▪ The relationship between the input and the output (how to compute the
output) [Comprehend or understood]
2. Write your thoughts as a sequence of steps. [Algorithm]
3. Convert these steps to Code. [Program]
4. Test your code and compare your program result against a human
result. [Testing]
 Calculate Area of a Rectangle
(Problem → Algorithm)
▪ How a computer can solve this problem?
▪ I get the values of the height and the → Get height as h
width from you and I store them in my → Get width as w
memory.
▪ Then I multiply them in my brain and → Calculate area = h*w
store the result in my memory
▪ And inform you about the resultant value. → Print area
 Calculate Area of a Rectangle
(Algorithm → Program)

Get height as h h = int(input(‘Enter height: ’))

Get width as w w = int(input(‘Enter width: ’))

Calculate area = h*w area = h * w

Print area print(area)

 Calculate Area of a Rectangle
(Program and Testing)
h 5
h=int(input(‘Enter height: ’)) w 4
w=int(input(‘Enter width: ’)) area 20
area = h * w
print(area)

Enter height: 5
Enter width: 4
20
 Calculate Area of a Circle
(Algorithm, Program, Testing)
import math

1. Get radius r r = int(input(‘Enter radius:’))

2. Calculate area = pi*r**2 area = [Link]*r**2

3. Print area print(area) radius 5

area 78.5398

Enter radius: 5
78.5398
 Calculate Number of Buses to Transfer Students

(Algorithm)
[Link] number of students as numS
[Link] the bus capacity as busC
[Link] num of buses as
numB = numS/busC (round up)
4. Print numB
 Calculate Number of Buses to Transfer Students
(Program)
import math
numS = int(input(‘Enter number of students:’))
busC = int(input(‘Enter bus capacity:’))
numB = numS/busC → numB = [Link](numS/busC)
print(numB)

If numS=60 and busC = 50 then numB = 60/50 = 1.2 ???

But it should be 2

[Link](1.2) = 2 ceil rounds up to nearest integer

[Link](1.2) = 1 floor rounds down to nearest integer
 Calculate Number of Dozens and Remainder
(Algorithm)
[Link] a number as N
[Link] dozen = N/12 (no fraction)
[Link] the remainder (r) of dividing N by 12
[Link] dozen
[Link] r
 Calculate Number of Dozens and Remainder
(Program)
import math
N = int(input(‘Enter a number’))
dozen = N/12 → dozen = N // 12
r = ?? →r = N % 12
print(dozen)
print(r)

N // 12 is the same as [Link](N / 12)

// called floor division