Learning to program is a bit like learning a foreign language: you can learn the syntax and the grammar, but becoming fluent in expressing your ideas, or even just understanding how other programmers express ideas, takes more time.
The term “Computation Thinking” came into public discussion in 2006, when Jeanette Wing, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, wrote an influential article (Wing, 2006) suggesting that the new methods of problem solving required to handle the unprecedented complexities of constructing computer-based system were in fact important generic thinking skills that could be acquired systematically, and would of value to almost everyone who needs to deal with complicated situations – whether they involve a computer or not.
Mathematicians have known since ancient times that there were only a limited range of regular tessallations capable of covering a plane surface. (By this we mean a repeated, or periodic, pattern than can go on and on in any direction for as long as you like.) In every case we can imagine picking up the entire pattern and moving it along in some direction and dropping it down over itself exactly. In some cases we can also imagine a pick-up, rotate the whole pattern and drop that also leaves the pattern unchanged. Some patterns also look the same if you carefully position a mirror vertically on the page, in a specific locations.
CREST Awards are organised by the British Association for the Advancement of Science in order encourage young people to get involved in "stretching extra-curricular research projects". There are three levels of award, Bronze, Silver and Gold, each level requiring increasing amount of work and sophistication, and covering the age range from 11 to 19.
Every experienced programmer has an opinion about style. Too much hot air is generated in discussions about which styles are best or worst. The truth is that many different styles work equally well, but it does matter whether you are consistent, both with your own previous practice and with other people you happen to be working with.
Style is mainly about making the meaning of your programs as understandable as possible. That means understandable to you, and understandable to anyone else who might want to read the program (check it for errors...use parts of it in their own work... and so on).
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