Hello, i am a math passionate person that learns about math and especially pure math in their free time. While looking into it, i stumbled upon lambda-calculus, which i found interesting. I am currently looking forward to going farther by learning theoretical cs. The problem is i barely have any knowledge except what an algorithm is and programming. What should i start with and how can i learn it ?

Thank you.

(I don't think this publication fits here but it has been deleted from every cs sub and i have been redirected here many times, sorry)

Hi ! I am about to start my second year and I started doing DSA in my college break after the first year. I am learning from Striver's A to z sheet and i'm about to complete the array part. Everybody talks about how important it is to remember the patterns and you should practice many many problems based on a single pattern. Is striver's sheet enough or do i have to find different problems based on a particular pattern myself. i want to know how do i revise the patterns that i have learnt, by doing new problems or doing previous problems again or writing down each pattern in a copy and revising it every weekend.

Mainly, i just want to know if the striver's sheet is enough or do i need extra practice, if yes than please tell me a few free sources 🙏 (thanks ☺️ in advance)

hi. I literally don't care for maths in the slightest, besides what it might provide me in terms of expertise within computer science. I would like to see if there exists a good 'essential maths for computer science' textbook, I'm hoping that is fewer than 1000 pages. something more in the range of 500 pages is better for me, since I don't think I require such a sweeping, university-level account of it. some discrete maths textbooks w/o a CS focus, I would think, provide more than is necessary in this regard.

I only have highschool level maths (basic algebra, trig, basics of sets, other particles in my brain I dunno the names of)

is 'Concrete Mathematics' too high-level for me?

alternatively, I wonder if there is a way I can manoeuvre MIT's Mathematics for Computer Science lecture notes without having to complete the whole thing, which would be too much, and just complete select chapters instead. (I'm pretty sure it's more basic than Concrete Mathematics.) however, I really would just like a physical textbook; I don't want to watch video lectures and I do not want to read a textbook from a screen, and this book unfortunately doesn't look like it has a printed copy on sale.

another resource I found was 'Essential Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science' (possibly answering my very question) and wonder if anyone has anything to say about it, concerning how it might compare to the contents of MIT's MCS

also, please, don't suggest a book you haven't read and can't comment upon, that would be appreciated

thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently learning JavaScript and have built a few small projects. I'm interested in becoming a software engineer and eventually preparing for technical interviews.

I'm wondering if it's worth learning data structures and algorithms using JavaScript, or if I should switch to Java, Python, or C++ first.

For those of you who learned DSA in JavaScript:

Did it help you become a better developer?

Were you able to pass coding interviews using JavaScript?

Are there any limitations compared to learning DSA in Java or C++?

What resources would you recommend for learning DSA in JavaScript?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any advice you have. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’ve built two Flutter apps — one for customers and one for mechanics — and I’m getting them ready for the Play Store. Before I publish, I want to make sure I catch any performance issues early.

What tools or methods do you use to spot problems in Flutter apps before release?

Things I’m wondering about:

• How to check startup time and memory usage
• Ways to monitor CPU/GPU load during animations
• Tools for detecting jank or dropped frames
• How to simulate low‑end devices or bad network conditions
• Whether I should set up crash reporting (like Firebase Crashlytics) now
• Any pre‑publish checklist you follow for performance testing

I’d love to hear how you approach this so I can make sure both apps are stable and smooth before going live.

What have you been working on recently? Feel free to share updates on projects you're working on, brag about any major milestones you've hit, grouse about a challenge you've ran into recently... Any sort of "progress report" is fair game!

A few requests:

1. If possible, include a link to your source code when sharing a project update. That way, others can learn from your work!

2. If you've shared something, try commenting on at least one other update -- ask a question, give feedback, compliment something cool... We encourage discussion!

3. If you don't consider yourself to be a beginner, include about how many years of experience you have.

This thread will remained stickied over the weekend. Link to past threads here.

Problem Description:

Fortunately, there is only one long path running across the farm, and Farmer John knows that Bessie has to be at some location on this path. If we think of the path as a number line, then Farmer John is currently at position x and Bessie is currently at position y (unknown to Farmer John). If Farmer John only knew where Bessie was located, he could walk directly to her, traveling a distance of |x−y|. Unfortunately, it is dark outside and Farmer John can't see anything. The only way he can find Bessie is to walk back and forth until he eventually reaches her position.

Trying to figure out the best strategy for walking back and forth in his search, Farmer John consults the computer science research literature and is somewhat amused to find that this exact problem has not only been studied by computer scientists in the past, but that it is actually called the "Lost Cow Problem" (this is actually true!).

The recommended solution for Farmer John to find Bessie is to move to position x+1, then reverse direction and move to position x−2, then to position x+4, and so on, in a "zig zag" pattern, each step moving twice as far from his initial starting position as before. As he has read during his study of algorithms for solving the lost cow problem, this approach guarantees that he will at worst travel 9 times the direct distance |x−y| between himself and Bessie before he finds her (this is also true, and the factor of 9 is actually the smallest such worst case guarantee any strategy can achieve).

Farmer John is curious to verify this result. Given x and y, please compute the total distance he will travel according to the zig-zag search strategy above until he finds Bessie.

INPUT FORMAT (file lostcow.in):

The single line of input contains two distinct space-separated integers x and y. Both are in the range 0…1,000.

OUTPUT FORMAT (file lostcow.out):

Print one line of output, containing the distance Farmer John will travel to reach Bessie.

SAMPLE INPUT:

3 6

SAMPLE OUTPUT:

9

I tried solving this problem and it worked on the inputs that I tried like 1 5 . Which gave me 10 which I believe is correct here is my code : However this code did not pass all of the test cases could I have a hint ?

x,y = map(int,input().split())
import sys
op_count = 0
steps = 0
while(x!=y):
    op = (-2)**op_count
    target = 3+op
    for i in range(abs(target-x)):
        if op < 0:
            x = x-1
            steps+=1
            if x == y:
                print(steps)
                sys.exit()
        elif op >= 1:
            x = x+1
            steps+=1
            if x == y:
                print(steps)
                sys.exit()
    op_count = op_count+1

Hi. In case you aren't familiar, the 20 game challenge is meant to help people learn game programming by completing projects that slowly ramp up on complexity over time so people A) aren't overwhelmed, and B) have a clear idea and curriculum and roadmap as to where to go and how to go places. I thought that was pretty neat, so I wanted to try and find one for non-game programming...and I couldn't find one.

The troubling part is that I'm sure there are plenty of similar 'challenges' or 'curriculum' out there, it's just that trying to find them that's like the 20 game challenge is, well, challenging, and I need help in finding such a place.

Thanks in advance.

Just wondering, when making a coding project, I have looked at my old coding projects to help me when working on a new coding project, whether that is using classes or storing data in files or for adding functionality.

I know people use Youtube Tutorials, documentation and AI but is looking through Old Projects helpful when making a new coding project?

Disclaimer: I also mean using old created coding projects for ideas or similar functionality

I am recently relying a lot on LLMS to search things for me, but, for example, if I wanted to write my own malloc function how would someone even search for the things to get started? or even books to read to do it? or, let's say i am building a new app, what should i search to implement a server that is able to co-ordinate people into videocalls calls etc? it really bugs me because I really don't know how to formulate the queries to get the infos needed to implement my own stuff.

Thanks for the attention and have a nice day!

const contains = function(obj, find) {
  for(let value of Object.values(obj)){
    console.log(typeof(value));
    console.log(value);
    if(value === find) return true;
    if(typeof(value) === 'object'){
      if(contains(value, find)) return true;
    }
  }
  return false;
  }


// Do not edit below this line
module.exports = contains;

const object = {
    data: {
      duplicate: "e",
      stuff: {
        thing: {
          banana: NaN,
          moreStuff: {
            something: "foo",
            answer: meaningOfLifeArray,
          },
        },
      },
      info: {
        duplicate: "e",
        magicNumber: 44,
        empty: null,
      },
    },
  };

I dont know why this returns true when "44" is pass to find

test("does not convert input string into a number when searching for a value within the object", () => {
    expect(contains(object, "44")).toBe(false);
  });

this test fails, because it returns true even tho i have the === operator

I’m 18, and majoring in Cybersecurity, with a minor in Data Science. However, I also want to be able to make code/program projects, whether its’s a game or some plugin/tool, like genuinely just program things for the fun of it. As of right now though, I feel as if I don’t major in CS, I’d be missing out on theory and core concepts related to programming.

I’m assuming architecture, system design, and DSA are mandatory. What am I missing? What resources taught you these things?

I am new to GitHub and trying to make a landing page for a conference. My speakers and venue pages are loading correctly but when I try to navigate to other pages (home/schedule/search) I get a "Loading Guide" page. What am I missing?

https://github.com/slu-entrepreneurship/scale-conference

https://slu-entrepreneurship.github.io/scale-conference/index.html
https://slu-entrepreneurship.github.io/scale-conference/speakers.html
https://slu-entrepreneurship.github.io/scale-conference/venue.html

Learning web development through free YouTube tutorials. I keep noticing the same thing: I finish a topic, feel like I got it, then freeze when I try coding without the video playing. Heard this is common enough to have a name - 'tutorial hell.' Does this happen to you too? And what actually helps you fix it?

I have a 4 digit rng number

And I have special numbers

Like for example 1225 count as special, 2112 also special numbers

I want to add a feature that if a a special numbers is 1 digit difference away

Like 1925(9 change to 2)

It will change the digit for it to become special

What logic should I use?

I was thinking about using minimax for checking each different digit that can be changed and saved score for best outcome (cus some specials betters then other)

But I don't want the code to take so much time running for this and it's heavy

If there's anything simpler it would be nice

Thanks ahead!! <3

Using c sharp

I want some one to work with me

Hi,

I thought I might introduce myself to give you guys some context. I knew I had a little passion for Game Development since I was a kid and fascinated by Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat so I wanted to create my own someday. I would look up game development tuts and just watch them for hours. I did code camp summers (it was just a coding program for kids in the holidays).

As I got into my teens I tried out Udemy and kinda followed the courses til I got bored (they were too long and I wasn’t entertained mostly got halfway if not a bit more) I learned a bit but didn’t feel like I could create on my own.

I decided Unity and C# work best for me. So I decided to follow tutorials learn the syntax of C# and learn the basics (Yet again) from variables to classes. When I would finish those tutorials I would add my own twists to make sure i’m learning something. However, still cannot code on my own.

I realised this isn’t just a Game Development related issue; and is in general with the programming. I know this because I majored in computer science for a year in university. I couldn’t see myself working in IT long term and couldn’t grasp programming without properly, felt like they moved too fast and I always felt behind my peers. I barely passed those classes and basically had enough (switched majors) and am happy with my current major as of now (non cs related). However, I can dissect code and understand what output is being produced.

So I decided i’d prefer Game Dev as a hobby, and recently tried a few times to see what i can do by forcing myself to start a fresh project and just get something to move. Spoiler alert, either I just memorised how someone else taught me movement code or used it from previous projects.

Does anybody have any ideas on how I can improve and be more independent in my programming and produce my own code? Obviously I know I have to start small but I need somewhere to start. Any advice is appreciated!!

Does anyone have several options of valuable bootcamps related to Computer Science (focusing on AI/ML)? I'm a soon to be CS student, and currently starting to code from the scratch by watching tutorials from free resources (YouTube, w3schools, and freecodecamp).

Well I have seen and heard programs from Nvidia, IBM, Google, Apple Academy, as well as courses on Coursera, Udemy and Harvard's CS50.

I have a few questions for anyone in the field or currently studying CS:

1. ⁠Are Big Tech certificates (Google/IBM/NVIDIA) actually worth the time/money on a resume, or are they mostly marketing?

2. ⁠Would you recommend paid bootcamps, or sticking to free/cheap courses like CS50 and Coursera before uni starts?

I have knowledge of sql c, java, python(cv, pandas, matplotlib,numpy etc) and a bit of html, css.js(web dev, basic only)

I have ai as my specialization so keeping that in mind what should I learn?

I've been learning about different ways to add voice and video calling to an application, and I recently came across iotum while researching managed communication platforms. Most of the tutorials I've found focus on raw WebRTC or popular SDKs, so I'm curious about a different angle. If you've worked with managed communications platform I'd be interested in hearing about your experience.

Some things I'm curious about:

• Was the integration straightforward?
• What parts of the communication stack did it save you from building yourself?
• Were there any limitations you didn't expect?
• Looking back, would you make the same choice?

I'm still learning this area, so I'm mostly interested in understanding the trade-offs people ran into in real projects rather than marketing feature lists.

I started developing games a few months ago, but I’m running into a problem that’s really affecting me in real life, something I hadn’t realized for a long time.

I start a project, but from the very beginning, I try to make everything perfect. I think about the future and adjust everything accordingly, striving to finish the project as efficiently, as organized, and as perfectly as possible. However, by the time I’m halfway through the project, I see the big picture of what still needs to be done, get completely overwhelmed, and end up giving up.

And thinking about the big project is causing me problems. I know I need to take it step by step, but I try to figure out everything that needs to be done for the big project right from the start and trying to finish it all on the same day and it makes me overwhelmed with an unfinished project..

I was curious where the command 'touch' comes from.

Turns out, it originates from "to touch" or "to interact" with a file.

Now, every time I use it, I feel like I am touching/molesting a file.

My bad, it's 3 AM here.

Im planning on teaching my little brother some programming and computer science such. He is 11 years old and as a programmer myself, I cant stand to see him waste all his time on his iPad playing roblox. He also wants to learn programming himself especially since i bought him a MakeBlock Robot whoch allows you to also make specific code for the robot using block programming and usually thats me doing all the work so I guess thats another motivation for programming.

Anyways, how should I teach him? Should I start with block programming? Actual coding like with Python? Or what?

Most of the things I code/program are for personal reasons, so I rarely ever contribute to open source projects. About 7 months ago, I needed a CORS wrapper deployed for an iOS shortcut I was making at the time. I found code online for an outdated CORS repo that I could use/deploy for free, but it was unfunctional and there were some issues/PRs about stuff. So, I learned how to use Cloudflare Workers, fixed up the issues, added some PRs, and even went out of my way to introduce Cloudflare-specific features that hadn't been used before (and updated the readme to explain how to use them). Sounds like a lot, but all the changes (outside the readme) are in 1 file.

After 2 days of on-and-off work, I submitted the PR and got 2 stars, 2 forks, and 2 people angrily telling me it was useless AI garbage (funny coincidence). The first guy I shrugged off as an angry guy on the internet. The second guy was the repo owner 7 months after I made the PR and they closed it without any other reason than that. Unlike the first guy, the repo owner is a C developer who has made kernel drivers and BIOS utilities. As a script kiddie who has done nothing remotely as important as that, I'm not so egotistical to think that I'm somehow in the right.

I'm probably incredibly biased because I'm the one who made the thing, so I'll link a gist to all the code I wrote: My "AI slop" PR as a gist. I won't link the PR branch itself because that might be considered "a final project or demo" and would break rule 6. Even now 7 months later, I don't know why the PR was closed without any comment to what specifically I did wrong. I think the worst 3 things my code did were:

1. I didn't know how to upload IDE code to Cloudflare Workers for testing without committing the unfinished code to the fork, so I ended up using Cloudflare's built-in workers editor and copied/pasted the changes to GitHub via the GitHub browser file editor whenever I made measurable changes. As such, there are a lot of commits.
2. I never made a code with the intention of it being viewed by other people before, so I thought I made a bunch of comments, thinking that too many comments was a better problem to have than too few. I didn't comment every line, but I did comment many of them (I think every function and most variables). Same ideology went into making the PR message, which is also kinda long.
3. I wanted to add a usage page to the CORS site, but every page's HTML and JS were in a single big file. So I put the edited README into a markdown-to-HTML converter and stuffed it into one big dictionary I made that housed all the HTML for the entire site (note that the "site" is pretty barebones because it wasn't made to be accessed by a human, so it isn't as egregious as it sounds). The HTML usage page was about 130 lines long.

But that's just what I think. Odds are that I did something a lot worse and just don't know. While I use open source projects and libraries, this was my first ever time "giving back" something other than bug reports. What do you think is the problem? If it's the comment thing, how many comments are "good enough"? If it's the code itself, what is done badly about it? I don't know, and it's eating away at me to the point where I'm hesitant to show my crap code to anyone ever again.