Basics of algorithmics

Presentation & objectives

The objective of this session is to introduce the basic concepts of algorithmics. It is a mandatory first step to students discovering these fields, and also a useful reminder for the others to ensure we all use the same terminology. In particular, we will study fundamental algorithmic statements (loops, conditionals), and also the concepts of constants and variables.

At the end of the session, you should know how to write a simple algorithm to solve a given problem, using all the elements listed above.

Before the class

Technical requirements

To be able to start working on the activity, you should meet the following requirements:

• Please bring your own computer.
• Make sure to have a functional network connection.
• Make sure you complete the practical activity of environment session 2.

During the class

Prior knowledge acquisition

To be able to start the practical activity efficiently, we will introduce some needed concepts at the beginning of the class. To save you some time, we will present you a few slides, that you can find hereafter:

• Slides of the session.

These slides only cover the main elements of the course, and many more details are given in the associated articles. Thus, you should study the following articles at home after the session:

• What is an algorithm?
• Values, variables and constants.
• Algorithmic statements.

You can verify your understanding of these articles here:

• Self-assessment quiz.

Practical activity

The rest of the class is dedicated to a practical activity. When ready, click on the link below to start:

• Practical activity.

After the class

Complete the current session

Before the next session, you should:

• Review the contents of the articles above.
• Complete the non-optional parts of the practical activity.

Prepare the next session

Also, you should:

• Check the “Before the class” section of the next session, and make sure you do everything required to prepare it.