The Top-Down Approach to Problem Solving


Book Description

Do you have a hard time finding the right solution to the problems in your math, physics, or science textbooks? When solving a problem on your own, do you often get stuck, not knowing what to do next? If so, you may have mistakenly learned to solve problems backwards since grade school. The Top-Down Approach is an effective technique to help you solve all kinds of problems, including those you may be struggling with. Learn this method and watch those problems lose their power over you, so you can concentrate on real, authentic learning. This book is for students at any academic level who are struggling with problems at any subject, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and for instructors who would like to improve their students' learning.




Think Like a Programmer


Book Description

The real challenge of programming isn't learning a language's syntax—it's learning to creatively solve problems so you can build something great. In this one-of-a-kind text, author V. Anton Spraul breaks down the ways that programmers solve problems and teaches you what other introductory books often ignore: how to Think Like a Programmer. Each chapter tackles a single programming concept, like classes, pointers, and recursion, and open-ended exercises throughout challenge you to apply your knowledge. You'll also learn how to: –Split problems into discrete components to make them easier to solve –Make the most of code reuse with functions, classes, and libraries –Pick the perfect data structure for a particular job –Master more advanced programming tools like recursion and dynamic memory –Organize your thoughts and develop strategies to tackle particular types of problems Although the book's examples are written in C++, the creative problem-solving concepts they illustrate go beyond any particular language; in fact, they often reach outside the realm of computer science. As the most skillful programmers know, writing great code is a creative art—and the first step in creating your masterpiece is learning to Think Like a Programmer.




Bulletproof Problem Solving


Book Description

Complex problem solving is the core skill for 21st Century Teams Complex problem solving is at the very top of the list of essential skills for career progression in the modern world. But how problem solving is taught in our schools, universities, businesses and organizations comes up short. In Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything you’ll learn the seven-step systematic approach to creative problem solving developed in top consulting firms that will work in any field or industry, turning you into a highly sought-after bulletproof problem solver who can tackle challenges that others balk at. The problem-solving technique outlined in this book is based on a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to everything from everyday decisions to strategic issues in business to global social challenges. The authors, with decades of experience at McKinsey and Company, provide 30 detailed, real-world examples, so you can see exactly how the technique works in action. With this bulletproof approach to defining, unpacking, understanding, and ultimately solving problems, you’ll have a personal superpower for developing compelling solutions in your workplace. Discover the time-tested 7-step technique to problem solving that top consulting professionals employ Learn how a simple visual system can help you break down and understand the component parts of even the most complex problems Build team brainstorming techniques that fight cognitive bias, streamline workplanning, and speed solutions Know when and how to employ modern analytic tools and techniques from machine learning to game theory Learn how to structure and communicate your findings to convince audiences and compel action The secrets revealed in Bulletproof Problem Solving will transform the way you approach problems and take you to the next level of business and personal success.




Programming in Pascal


Book Description

CS1/CS101 Introduction to Programming with Pascal




Problem Solving 101


Book Description

The fun and simple problem-solving guide that took Japan by storm Ken Watanabe originally wrote Problem Solving 101 for Japanese schoolchildren. His goal was to help shift the focus in Japanese education from memorization to critical thinking, by adapting some of the techniques he had learned as an elite McKinsey consultant. He was amazed to discover that adults were hungry for his fun and easy guide to problem solving and decision making. The book became a surprise Japanese bestseller, with more than 370,000 in print after six months. Now American businesspeople can also use it to master some powerful skills. Watanabe uses sample scenarios to illustrate his techniques, which include logic trees and matrixes. A rock band figures out how to drive up concert attendance. An aspiring animator budgets for a new computer purchase. Students decide which high school they will attend. Illustrated with diagrams and quirky drawings, the book is simple enough for a middleschooler to understand but sophisticated enough for business leaders to apply to their most challenging problems.







Algorithms: A Top-down Approach


Book Description

This comprehensive compendium provides a rigorous framework to tackle the daunting challenges of designing correct and efficient algorithms. It gives a uniform approach to the design, analysis, optimization, and verification of algorithms. The volume also provides essential tools to understand algorithms and their associated data structures.This useful reference text describes a way of thinking that eases the task of proving algorithm correctness. Working through a proof of correctness reveals an algorithm's subtleties in a way that a typical description does not. Algorithm analysis is presented using careful definitions that make the analyses mathematically rigorous.Related Link(s)




Introduction to Programming


Book Description

The book Introduction to Programming is designed for the common course of all students of Engineering branches across Andhra Pradesh/India. The book is written with the singular objective of providing the students with a distinct source material as per the syllabus. This textbook is organized into eight chapters each of which cover a different aspect of programming, and it includes a mix of theory and practical material. Students will learn the basic concepts of programming, such as data types, control structures, functions, Pointers and arrays through this textbook. The book also helps how to use these concepts to write programs that solve real-world problems. The book will also develop your logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Programming is a great way to exercise your mind and learn how to think creatively. It has all the features essential to arouse interest and involve students in the subject.




Dynamic Programming


Book Description

This book provides a practical introduction to computationally solving discrete optimization problems using dynamic programming. From the examples presented, readers should more easily be able to formulate dynamic programming solutions to their own problems of interest. We also provide and describe the design, implementation, and use of a software tool that has been used to numerically solve all of the problems presented earlier in the book.




Dynamic Programming for Coding Interviews


Book Description

I wanted to compute 80th term of the Fibonacci series. I wrote the rampant recursive function, int fib(int n){ return (1==n || 2==n) ? 1 : fib(n-1) + fib(n-2); } and waited for the result. I wait… and wait… and wait… With an 8GB RAM and an Intel i5 CPU, why is it taking so long? I terminated the process and tried computing the 40th term. It took about a second. I put a check and was shocked to find that the above recursive function was called 204,668,309 times while computing the 40th term. More than 200 million times? Is it reporting function calls or scam of some government? The Dynamic Programming solution computes 100th Fibonacci term in less than fraction of a second, with a single function call, taking linear time and constant extra memory. A recursive solution, usually, neither pass all test cases in a coding competition, nor does it impress the interviewer in an interview of company like Google, Microsoft, etc. The most difficult questions asked in competitions and interviews, are from dynamic programming. This book takes Dynamic Programming head-on. It first explain the concepts with simple examples and then deep dives into complex DP problems.