About this course: This two-part course introduces the basic mathematical and programming principles that underlie much of Computer Science. Understanding these principles is crucial to the process of creating efficient and well-structured solutions for computational problems. To get hands-on experience working with these concepts, we will use the Python programming language. The main focus of the class will be weekly mini-projects that build upon the mathematical and programming principles that are taught in the class. To keep the class fun and engaging, many of the projects will involve working with strategy-based games. In part 2 of this course, the programming portion of the class will focus on concepts such as recursion, assertions, and invariants. The mathematical portion of the class will focus on searching, sorting, and recursive data structures. Upon completing this course, you will have a solid foundation in the principles of computation and programming. This will prepare you for the next course in the specialization, which will begin to introduce a structured approach to developing and analyzing algorithms. Developing such algorithmic thinking skills will be critical to writing large scale software and solving real world computational problems.
Taught by: Scott Rixner, Professor
Computer Science
Taught by: Joe Warren, Professor
Computer Science
Taught by: Luay Nakhleh, Associate Professor
Computer Science; Biochemistry and Cell Biology
| Basic Info |
Course 4 of 7 in the
Fundamentals of Computing Specialization.
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| Commitment | 4 weeks of study, 7-10 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
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| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Excellent course!!! Choice of mini projects to apply the concepts we learnt was awesome. Excellent course structure, instructors, materials and everything. Loved every part of this course. Thanks for such wonderful course.
excellent course to improve logic skills of programming
I have passed now the 4 first courses of the Fundamentals of Computing Specialisation and I have to say that I am very grateful to the instructors for the amount of new knowledge I got from working on this courses.
At first I my aim on taking this courses was just to learn Python, but now I can see how much deeper the scope of this course is. I have learned so much more than just the syntax and grammar of a programming language. I have just started grasping the way information can be organised and searched.
I have to say the 2 parts course Principles of Computing is not easy. The difficulty escalates exponentially as we move forward. You will need time to pass the projects and tests. Take it with calmly and seriously. Its worth it.
A big thank you to the instructors for their efforts on making the learning way entertaining. Even just by trying to be funny you guys made it enjoyable.
Highly recommended.
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Very challenging projects and a very interesting way to learn about data structures. Lecturers are really great