An Introduction to Python and Computer Programming

by Yue Zhang

Overview

This book introduces Python programming language and fundamental concepts in algorithms and computing. Its target audience includes students and engineers with little or no background in programming, who need to master a practical programming language and learn the basic thinking in computer science/programming. The main contents come from lecture notes for engineering students from all disciplines, and has received high ratings. Its materials and ordering have been adjusted repeatedly according to classroom reception. Compared to alternative textbooks in the market, this book introduces the underlying Python implementation of number, string, list, tuple, dict, function, class, instance and module objects in a consistent and easy-to-understand way, making assignment, function definition, function call, mutability and binding environments understandable inside-out. By giving the abstraction of implementation mechanisms, this book builds a solid understanding of the Python programming language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789812876089
Publisher:	Springer Nature Singapore
Publication date:	07/09/2015
Series:	Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering , #353
Edition description:	1st ed. 2015
Pages:	295
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Dr. Yue Zhang is an Assistant Professor at Singapore University of Technology and Design. Before joining SUTD in 2012, he worked as a postdoctoral research assistant at University of Cambridge. Yue Zhang received his DPhil and MSSc degrees from University of Oxford and his BEng degree from Tsinghua University, China. Yue Zhang has been class tutors of programming languages at Oxford and Cambridge and has been teaching and leading computer science courses at SUTD.

Table of Contents

An introduction to Python and computer programming.- Using Python as a Calculator.- The First Python Program.- Branching and Looping.- Problem solving using branches and loops.- Functions.- Lists and mutability.- Sequences, Mappings and Sets.- Problem solving using lists and functions.- Classes.- Summary.

Editorial Reviews

There are 11 chapters, each of which has a selection of exercises at the end. The problems are well written and generally increase in complexity. … Tailored to the instructor, it provides a good foundation.” (David Bellin, Computing Reviews, October, 2015)

From the Publisher