1. Fundamentals#

Programming is all about breaking down a problem into simple steps that a computer can understand. In our case the ‘simple steps’ are instructions, written in the Python programming language, which perform operations such as arithmetic calculations or setting the value of variables. These instructions are usually performed one at a time in sequence, although some instructions might cause the program to branch to a different section of code or to repeat a section of code. In this section we will introduce some of the most common Python constructs and some techniques to solve simple computational problems.

What you’ll learn

  • Perform arithmetic calcuations

  • Create and use variables

  • Display output using print

  • Conditionally execute instructions using the if statement

  • Repeat instructions using the while statement

  • Use pseudocode to express the algorithmic solution to a problem

1.1. This Week#

Before class read the notes and complete embedded exercises.

During class work through the workshop.

During and after class complete the exercises.