Resources

This course deliberately requires almost nothing beyond a computer and a browser. No datasets, libraries, or accounts are needed; every case generates its own data.

Software setup (students)

Python. You need Python 3.10 or newer. Install it from the installer your institution provides, or search the web for "python download" and follow the official result for your operating system. On the first screen of the installer, tick "Add Python to PATH" (Windows) or use the defaults (macOS/Linux). Verify in a terminal:

python --version   # or: python3 --version on macOS/Linux

Editor. Any of these is fine; pick one and stay with it for the semester:

• the editor that ships with your operating system + a terminal;
• a free code editor such as VS Code (search "VS Code download" for the official installer), with the Python extension;
• IDLE, which installs together with Python.

Running programs. From a terminal in the folder containing your file:

python my_solution.py

For quick experiments, open the interactive console by typing python3 with no file name. Type exit() to leave.

This course site. The public site is static Markdown. To read it locally, build it (python scripts/build_site.py) and open site/index.html in a browser — no server needed for reading, though python -m http.server 8000 from site/ also works.

Pseudocode style

Use the course's pseudocode conventions from resources/pseudocode-style.md — the same style is used in solutions, so early alignment pays off.

Flowcharts

Draw on paper first. Standard shapes only: rounded box = start/end, rectangle = process, diamond = decision, parallelogram = input/output, arrow = flow. Lecture 03 teaches the notation; every later case may be answered with one.

Study strategy that matches this course

1. Attempt before you read anything. The five-minute in-class attempt is the learning event; reading solutions without attempting teaches almost nothing.
2. Keep an error journal. One line per bug: symptom → cause → fix. By week eight you will see your personal top-three error patterns.
3. Re-solve from scratch. A week after each lecture, re-do one case without notes. If you cannot, reread the lecture plan's synthesis section.
4. Explain out loud. Pseudocode is a language for explaining; practising the explanation is practising the skill the course grades.
5. Use extensions honestly. Extensions are enrichment, not obligations. Attempting one extension deeply beats skimming five.

1. Navigate by the catalog, not by file listing. The Case-Study Catalog sorts all 144 cases by lecture, difficulty, and topic; the Topic-Coverage Heatmap shows which lectures exercise which skills — use both to plan revision.
2. Keep a weekly rhythm. After each lecture: redo one case cold (rule 3), attempt the next lecture's first Beginner case as a warm-up, and file your error-journal entries (rule 2). Fifteen minutes, three times a week, beats one long cram.
3. Prepare for quizzes and the exam by re-deriving, not rereading. Each lecture's quiz.md is the honest check: attempt it closed-book, then rework anything you missed. For the exam, rebuild one case per block from a blank page — if you can produce the pseudocode and the trace, you are ready; if you cannot, the gap is specific and findable.

For instructors

• Lecture plans and solution walkthroughs are in the instructor build (scripts/build_instructor.py → public_instructor/).
• The Glossary doubles as a source of definitions you can paste into slides.
• All materials are Markdown; you can adapt them with any editor. Keep case IDs stable when editing (see CONTRIBUTING).

Searching for more

The course avoids bundling external links so nothing rots. When you want more on a topic, search for the exact technique name from the lecture (for example "binary search visualization", "trace table practice", "dynamic programming introduction") and prefer official documentation or university pages in the results. Verify anything you read against a case from this course.