Advanced Algorithmic Thinking with Python

Course details

The need for competent problem solvers has never been greater, and Python has become an important programming language. Because of its clarity and expressiveness, Python is an ideal tool to explore algorithmic thinking. In this course, Robin Andrews explains algorithmic thinking and guides you through puzzles, problems, and theories to help you build and challenge your skills. After a warmup problem, Robin shows you how to use the divide and conquer problem solving technique and the Quicksort algorithm, with puzzles to practice each. He dives into the transform and conquer technique that applies preprocessing to the data for a problem before implementing a solution, with additional puzzles for practice. Robin goes over dynamic programming, both top-down and bottom-up, and gives you problems to practice both theory and implementation. Plus, he introduces and explains hash tables and how you can use them to solve problems in Python.

Concepts

Introduction

Exploration of algorithmic thinking

Warmup

The two-sum interview problem
The two-sum interview problem solution
Number placement puzzle

Divide and Conquer

Triominoes puzzle
Triominoes puzzle solution
Introduction to divide and conquer
Quicksort introduction
Implementing Quicksort in Python
Challenge - Implementing Fibonacci function in Python
Solution - Implementing Fibonacci function in Python

Transform and Conquer

Coins on a star puzzle
Coins on a star puzzle solution
Introduction to transform and conquer
Presort for mode finding
Number placement puzzle revisited
Challenge - Implement number puzzle solution in Python
Solution - Implement number puzzle solution in Python

Dynamic Programming

Introduction to dynamic programming
Top-down dynamic programming example
Bottom-up dynamic programming example
The knapsack problem - Theory
The knapsack problem - Python implementation
Challenge - The knapsack problem
Solution - The knapsack problem

Hash Tables

What are hash tables
Python code for hash tables
Python dictionaries
Two-sum problem revisited
Challenge - Ransom note
Solution - Ransom note

Conclusion

Next steps