Intro to CS: Lecture 26 (Final Lecture) - List Access, Hashing, Simulations, and Wrap-Up

in Intro to CS using Python
#computer-science #python

Topics: Extras: lists in memory, hashing, simulations, wrap-up

Looking at lists, and how they’re actually implemented in memory. Looking at dictionaries, and how they are implemented in memory using hash tables.

Going over simulations.

Simulations

Topic useful for many domains

  • Computationally describe the world using randomness
  • One very important topic relative to many fields of study
    • Risk modeling and analysis
    • Reduce complex models

Idea:

  • Observe an event and want to calculate something about it
  • Using computation, design an experiment of that event
  • Repeat the experiment k many times (make a simulation)
  • Keep track of the outcome of your event
  • After k repetitions, report the value of interest

Wrap Up - What did we learn

  • Python syntax
  • Flow of control
    • Loops, branching, exceptions
  • Data structures
    • Tuples, lists, dictionaries
  • Organization, decomposition, abstraction
    • Functions
    • Classes
  • Algorithms
    • Binary/bisection
  • Computational complexity
    • Big theta notation
    • Searching and sorting

My experience was that I was a “natural” mostly because I already have a lot of experience with programming.

What’s next

  • 6100B - overview of interesting topics in CS and data science (Python)
    • Optimization problems
    • Simulations
    • Experimental data
    • Machine learning
  • 6.101 - fundamentals of programming (Python)
    • Implementing efficient algorithms
    • Debugging
    • Problem sets are hardcore, lot of debugging
    • Sets data structure will be covered here
  • 6.102 - software construction (typescript)
    • Writing code that is safe from bugs, easy to understand, ready for change
  • Other classes (ML, Algorithms, etc.)

I can't find these courses on MIT OCW, and since I'm not an MIT student, I can't take these courses. It's fine. I'm following the curriculum for OSSU so I have a next course to take.

The instructor states: It’s easy to forget without practice ! She recommends to practice at least once a week. It doesn’t need to be a lot, just 30 min once a week is fine.

I liked the problem sets, I feel like they were great practice for me.

That's a wrap for this class ! Next up, I'm going to write a review of this course and maybe upload a YouTube video about it.