Summary

In this chapter, we discussed problem definition, decomposition, and analysis. We used problems to help us go through the process of identifying problems, decomposing them into the relevant parts and identifying constraints, and analyzing our algorithms. We used flowcharts to help us learn about decision-making when designing algorithms and how to organize ideas.

We learned to test our algorithms often. This provided us with the skills and understanding to identify errors early rather than wait until we had too many lines of code, which made it hard to identify those errors. We used an online store and a guessing game to help us understand some of the functionalities available in Python. Throughout the process, we used Boolean code to verify inputs, we used nested if statements, and we learned about how to use dictionaries in solving the problems presented.

In addition, we got a chance to use a dictionary for an algorithm that used user input and variables. Using the...