In today’s digital age, where electronic gadgets seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, understanding the bedrock upon which these marvels stand becomes not just an academic interest but a societal necessity. As we embark on this enlightening voyage into the heart of computers, we aim to demystify the intricate dance between the physical and the abstract, between the tangible hardware and the intangible software.
Every day, we’re surrounded by numbers. From the alarm clock’s digits waking us up in the morning to the price of our favorite morning coffee. But, have you ever stopped to ponder the essence of these numbers? In this article, we will dive deep into the captivating world of numbering systems, unraveling how one number can have myriad representations depending on the context.
In life, we often seek certainties. Will it rain tomorrow, true or false? Is a certain action right or wrong? This dichotomy, this division between two opposing states, lies at the very core of a fundamental branch of mathematics and computer science: Boolean logic.
Venturing into the world of programming might seem like a Herculean task, especially when faced with the initial decision: Where to begin? This article will guide you through the essential steps to set up your programming environment, ensuring a solid foundation for your coding journey.
Understanding how variables and data types work is essential to master any programming language. In this article we will review the basic concepts of variables, operators, data types and type conversions using the Python language. We will cover both theory and practical examples so you can apply these concepts in your own programs.
Input/output operations (I/O) allow a program to communicate and exchange data with the outside world. In this article we will see in detail input operations from the keyboard or a file, and output to the screen or a file.
When we embark on the exciting journey of learning to program, we soon discover that programming is not just about writing code, but also about controlling the flow of that code. We can compare it to the flow of decisions we make in our daily lives. For example, if it’s cold outside, we put on a coat before going out. If we have no pending tasks, we go to the movies. Our actions depend on these evaluations and decisions. Control flow is, essentially, the way we decide which part of the code runs, when it runs, and how many times it does. To do this, we have a variety of structures that allow us to make decisions, repeat actions, and split our code into logical blocks.
In the vast and exciting world of programming, there are concepts that are fundamental pillars for any developer, regardless of their experience level. One of these concepts is functions. What are they? Why are they so crucial? Let’s find out!
Recursion is a fundamental concept in programming that allows a function to call itself. At first it may seem counterintuitive, but mastering this approach opens the door to elegant solutions for certain problems.
Arrays are fundamental data structures in programming that allow storing and organizing collections of data of the same type. Mastering the use of arrays is essential for any programmer.
Maps (also called hashes or dictionaries) are data structures that associate keys with values. They allow ultra fast access to elements through unique keys. In Python they are known as dictionaries.
Linked lists are a dynamic and flexible data structure that allows efficiently storing collections of elements. Unlike arrays, linked lists do not require reserving a fixed size in advance.
Stacks are an abstract data structure that operates under the LIFO (last in, first out) principle, where the last element to enter is the first to leave.
Queues are an abstract data structure that operates under the FIFO (first in, first out) principle, where the first element to enter is also the first to leave. Queues are used to order elements so that the first to arrive is processed first. Understanding their operation is essential for any programmer.