2009 101

Technical Day 1.01: Introductions

Introduction to the Technical Day

Why programming?

A Manifesto for Change

Why Python?

• Think Python

Introduction to Computation (including performance)

The Number System is abstract

The system we use to write down numbers is based on an abstract relationship of symbols to notions of quantity.

There have been alternatives, for instance Wikipedia:Roman Numerals

• Quipu
• Oware

Minimalist Math

• Boolean Algebra

... [Y]ou can think of programming as the process of breaking a large, complex task into smaller and smaller subtasks until the subtasks are simple enough to be performed with one of these basic instructions.
ThinkPython, p. 3

Exercise

• Human Adding Machine

distribute ThinkPython

A brief introduction to Python

First exercise: A dialog with Python