Python foundations

Turn algorithms into programs and express values, state, and calculations in Python

Before a computer can carry out an algorithm, the procedure must be written in a programming language. Python lets you express instructions, represent values, calculate results, and inspect how a program’s state changes.

Learning objectives

By the end of this part, you will be able to:

distinguish an algorithm, a program, code, and source code;
explain how a programming language expresses instructions and how CPython runs Python source code;
explain why this course uses Python and describe one benefit and one performance limit;
prepare a Python environment and run code in the interactive interpreter, a script, and a notebook;
represent text, integers, floating-point values, and the values True and False using suitable Python data types, and trace how assignment changes program state;
construct and predict arithmetic, comparison, logical, and string expressions, and convert values when needed.

Release status

This page previews Module 3. Canvas announces when its detailed chapters become available on the public course site.