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Lecture 1 Welcome

  • Questions
    • Is steps 2 and 1 swapped?
    • 1.1.4 functions are objects, objects are functions, and interpreters are instances of both
  • Computer Science Overview
    • What problems can be solved
    • What techniques lead to effective solutions
  • CS61a overview
    • managing complexity
      • abstraction
    • intro to programming
      • how computers interpret programming languages
  • Course Format
    • Lecture
      • Prerecorded lectures by DeNero
    • Discussion (Tu/Th)
      • Concepts more like an exam
    • Lab (M/W)
      • Meant to be collaborative
      • More introductory to material
      • Need attendance + submission
      • 2 days to complete each lab
    • Office hours
      • Held everyday
    • Tutoring (optional)
      • 1 hour twice a week
    • Textbook
    • Homework
      • Often more difficult problems
      • Released Monday, due Thursday
    • Projects
      • 1.5 weeks to complete
      • pairs of 2 projects
    • Exams
      • Midterm - 64 points
      • Final - 96 points
  • Expressions
    • expression - describes a computation and evaluates to a value
    • Python follows order of operations
    • What is a computer program?
      • computer programs manipulate values
      • expressions in programs evaluate to values
    • Call Expressions
      • add (2, 3)
      • add - operator
      • operand - 2 and 3
      • Order
        • Evaluate the operator
        • Evaluate the operands from left to right
        • Apply the operator to the evaluated operands
      • Nest Call Expression
        • add(add,6,mul(4,6)), mul(3,5))
        • Humans evaluate inside out