Algorithmic Thinking (Part 1)

Experienced Computer Scientists analyze and solve computational problems at a level of abstraction that is beyond that of any particular programming language. This two-part course builds on the principles that you learned in our Principles of Computing course and is designed to train students in the mathematical concepts and process of “Algorithmic Thinking”, allowing them to build simpler, more efficient solutions to real-world computational problems.In part 1 of this course, we will study the notion of algorithmic efficiency and consider its application to several problems from graph theory. As the central part of the course, students will implement several important graph algorithms in Python and then use these algorithms to analyze two large real-world data sets. The main focus of these tasks is to understand interaction between the algorithms and the structure of the data sets being analyzed by these algorithms.

Recommended Background - Students should be comfortable writing intermediate size (300+ line) programs in Python and have a basic understanding of searching, sorting, and recursion. Students should also have a solid math background that includes algebra, pre-calculus and a familiarity with the math concepts covered in “Principles of Computing”.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Module 1 - Core Materials
What is Algorithmic Thinking?, class structure, graphs, brute-force algorithms
Week 2
Modules 1 - Project and Application
Graph representations, plotting, analysis of citation graphs
Week 3
Module 2 - Core Materials
Asymptotic analysis, “big O” notation, pseudocode, breadth-first search
Week 4
Module 2 - Project and Application
Connected components, graph resilience, and analysis of computer networks

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.

The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

This is where computer science truly starts, without the excessive preliminary math that usually scares most people away. Great course!

Course and assignments were very well thought out and informative.

Project is interesting, bu the video lecture is kind of repetitive and does not cover much

Great course, please offer an oline program to obtain an Rice university grade in science computer.