Introduction to

Computational Thinking
Module 1 :
Computing and Algorithms

Module 1 : Computing and Algorithms

Assoc Prof Chi-Wing FU, Philip

Office: N4-02c-104
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email: cwfu[at]ntu.edu.sg

Topics
What is Computational Thinking?
What is an Algorithm
How to Express an Algorithm?
Flowcharts
Nassi-Schneiderman Diagrams
Pseudo-code

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What is Computational Thinking?

It is a problem solving process that involves
Analysis and modeling of the problem and the data
Understand of how computers work
Acquire logic and procedural design concepts
Formulate a computational solution that one
can use a computer to resolve the problem
Automation
Efficiency

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What is a problem?
First you may wonder
What is a problem?
It is a question proposed for a solution.
Lets start with a simple example:
Find the last 4 digits in factorial n or n!

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What is a problem?
Before that What is a factorial?
0! = 1
1! = 1
2! = 2 x 1! = 2 x 1
3! = 3 x 2! = 3 x 2 x 1 = 6
n! = n x (n-1)! = = n x (n-1) x (n-2) x x 2 x 1

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What is a problem?
So we have to find out the last 4 digits in n!
Input: n
Output: 4 digits: could be 0000, 0001, , 9999
Computational thinking is the problem-solving
process to devise a method to compute the solution

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Lets do Problem Solving!!!

Now, let me give you a minute to think about
how to solve this problem?
.
Dont look at the next slides

Think about it yourself first!!!!!!!

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Accumulator

Method 1
Method 1: (Straight-forward)
Step 1: First, ask the user to input or tell you n
Step 2: We can compute n! by iteratively doing
the multiplication (like using a calculator)
Accumulator initialized to n
Accumulator Accumulator x (n-1)
Accumulator Accumulator x (n-2)

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Method 1

Accumulator Accumulator x 3
Accumulator Accumulator x 2
Accumulator Accumulator x 1
Step 3: Lastly, output last 4 digits in Accumulator

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Any issue?
How if we use a calculator to
compute it!!!
If n is large, say 50, the accumulator will
soon be too large, and not representable and
displayable with the finite precision on your
calculator: 50! = 3.0414x1064.
Any better or more efficient method?
Note: we only need to know the last 4 digits
Do we really need to know the whole value of n!
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Method 2
Home exercise: your problem solving time
Hints:
Since we only need the last 4 digits as output
The computation ONLY involves a series of
multiplication
Whatever we multiply two numbers, we only
need to keep (think about this )
And any trick to speed up?

It can be more efficient and independent of the

number representation precision!!!
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Computational Thinking!!
Computational thinking is a mental process
aiming at solving a problem by formulating the
solution into a procedure/method that the
computer (like a calculator) can work on
This is the focus on this course!!!!!!!
Note!!! Generally, problem-solving is independent
of the choice of programming language!!!
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Computational Thinking!!
And
Computers and programming languages are
basically tools (like calculators) for you to
formulate your solution (algorithm/procedure)
into a program that a computer can run
Note: What is computer, hardware, software,
See course Introduction to Computing Systems
(which runs in parallel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_computer
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Topics
What is Computational Thinking?
What is an Algorithm?
How to Express an Algorithm?
Flowcharts
Nassi-Schneiderman Diagrams
Pseudo-code

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What is an Algorithm?
Just like the example you saw
When you formulate a method/procedure for
solving a problem, it has to be computable;
such a procedure is also called an algorithm
Algorithm VS Program
An algorithm is a description of the procedure
on how one can follow to solve the problem
A program is an implementation of an algorithm
in a particular language for computers to run on
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What is an Algorithm?
Problem

Algorithm

Computational
Thinking

Programming

Program

Run on

So Algorithm and computational thinking are

both independent of the programming
language we choose to implement the program

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Why Algorithm?
Hence, we can analyze the problem and derive
the solution independent of programming
Furthermore, we can also examine how easily
or difficult a language allows us to realize the
algorithm
And how different computers impact the
realization of an algorithm, e.g., efficiency
(in a course that you may take in the future:
CZ2001 Algorithm in 2nd year)
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Aspects of an Algorithm
How detail should an algorithm be:
Provide enough detail to be implementable
Can be tricky to define completely:
relies on common sense and the audience

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Aspects of an Algorithm
Example: Making scrambled eggs
1. Beating the eggs for 20 to 35 seconds in a bowl
2. Heating a frying pan over a medium-low heat
3. Melt some butter in the frying pan
4. Cook eggs on the pan and stir eggs while cooking
5. Add other ingredients
6. Serve the scrambled eggs

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More detail? it depends, e.g., audience

Example: Making scrambled eggs

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/ScrambledOmelette.htm
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Topics
What is Computational Thinking?
What is an Algorithm?
How to Express an algorithm?
Flowcharts
Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams
Pseudo-code

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How to express an Algorithm?

Algorithms is basically Sequential
(step after step)
Sequence:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

But may include

Branching (making a selection)
Looping (repeating certain operations)

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Algorithm can have Branching

Branching (make a selection)
E.g., IF there are extra ingredients such as herbs
and cheese, THEN add them to the eggs before
serving the scrambled eggs; ELSE we skip this step.
Example: Making scrambled eggs
1. Beating the eggs for 20 to 35 seconds in a bowl
2. Heating a frying pan over a medium-low heat
3. Melt some butter in the frying pan
4. Cook eggs on the pan and stir eggs while cooking
5. Add other ingredients
6. Serve the scrambled eggs

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Algorithm can have Looping

Looping (certain operations needed to be
repeated again and again)
E.g., WHILE the eggs do not look like what you
desire, keep gently stirring them in the pan
Example: Making scrambled eggs
1. Beating the eggs for 20 to 35 seconds in a bowl
2. Heating a frying pan over a medium-low heat
3. Melt some butter in the frying pan
4. Cook eggs on the pan and stir eggs while cooking
5. Add other ingredients
6. Serve the scrambled eggs

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How to express an Algorithm?

Three general (and very common)
techniques to express algorithms:
Flowcharts
Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams
Pseudo-code

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General Notes
No strict rules
Informal language - mix of English and
keywords
Common keywords: IF, ELSE, WHILE, etc.
Other keywords: READ, PRINT, SET,
INITIALIZE, COMPUTE, ADD, SUBTRACT, etc.
Usually start an operation sentence with a verb
(description should be concise and precise)

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#1. Flowcharts
Represent an algorithm by a diagram for
effective visualization
Symbol

Name
Process

Decision

Input / Output

Terminal

Flowlines
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#1. Flowcharts
start

Beating the eggs in a bowl

Heating a frying pan

Can do repetition
Melt butter and put eggs on pan

Decision blocks
(make choices)

If eggs ok?

Stir eggs

Any ingredient?

Output!

Add ingredients

Serve Scrambled Eggs

Can do selection

end
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#2. Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams

Similar to a flowchart but it is arrow-free
and so more space-friendly
#1: Sequential operations: Just stack them up
Beating the eggs in a bowl
Heating a frying pan
Melt butter and put eggs on pan

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#2. Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams

#2: Selection operations: Make Branches
Any ingredient?

Here is empty,
meaning do nothing
but we may also put
operations here

Y
Add ingredient

Serve Scrambled Eggs

Join again

#3: Looping operations: Repetition

Eggs not ok?

While condition is true,

keep running the
operations inside

Stir eggs

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#2. Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams

Putting them together:
Beating the eggs in a bowl
Heating a frying pan
Melt butter and put eggs on pan
Egg not ok?

Stir eggs

Can do repetition
Can do selection

Any ingredient?

Y
Add ingredient

Serve Scrambled Eggs

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#2. Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams

One more example:
Computing factorial
Can do selection
(true or false)

Here I takes a value

of 3 up to N in different
iteration of this loop, which
Is repeated with different I
[skip if N is smaller than 3]
And accumulate to NFACT
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#3. Pseudo-code
How to pronounce?
sy-ooooooooooooo-doh! code
IDEA: directly use informal English to
describe an algorithm step by step with
one step per line

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#3. Pseudo-code
Example #1: Making Scrambled Eggs
BEAT the eggs for 20 to 35 seconds in a bowl
HEAT a frying pan over a medium-low heat
MELT some butter in the frying pan
PUT eggs on pan
WHILE eggs not okay
STIR eggs while cooking
END WHILE
IF any ingredients
Add other ingredients
END IF
SERVE the scrambled eggs
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#3. Pseudo-code
Example #2: factorial
READ N from user input
IF N <= 1
nfact = 1
ELSE
nfact = 2
REPEAT I = 3 to N
nfact = nfact x I
END IF
OUTPUT nfact

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#3. Pseudo-code
Guidelines:
Write only one statement per line
Capitalize the keywords
Indent to show hierarchy
End multi-line structures
Keep statements programming-language
independent

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Expressing an Algorithm
Important Note:

More detail on
these techniques
later in this course

Must be unambiguous
Every step must be clear and precise
Specify the order of steps precisely
[Sequence]
Consider all possible decision points
[Branching and Looping]
Must terminate
(No matter which representation you use)
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Take Home Messages

Computational thinking is a mental process, aiming at
solving a problem by formulating the solution into a
procedure/method that the computer can work on
Problem-solving is independent of the choice of the
programming language
An algorithm is a description of a procedure on how one
can follow to solve the problem, whereas a program is an
implementation of an algorithm in a particular language to
run on a computer
Algorithms may not be sequential, they may include
branching and looping; Three basic techniques to express
algorithms: flowcharts, Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams,
and pseudo-code.
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Reading Assignment
Textbook
Chapter 0: The Study of Computer Science
0.1 to 0.4
Note: Though some material in textbook is not
directly related to the lecture material, you can
learn more from them.
Exercise:
Write down the algorithm for the problem on P.4.
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