Outline for October 21, 2024

Reading: text, §4.5
Due: Homework 2, due October 26, 2023

1. Lists as parameters: can change list elements in function and they are changed in caller [args2.py]

2. More on parameters: named arguments and variable number of arguments [args3.py]

3. Recursion
   1. n factorial [nfact.py]

4. Thinking recursively [recfun.py]
   1. First: think of the recursive case (write the problem in terms of something involving a smaller instance of the problem)
   2. Next: think of base case (when to stop)
   3. Example: Find the length of a string
   4. Example: Does the string only have alphabetic characters in it?
   5. Example: Find the maximum element of a list
   6. Example: Construct a string from a list of strings
   7. Example: Reverse a string

5. Recursion
   1. Palindromes [palindrome.py]
   2. Fibonacci numbers [rfib.py]
   3. Sum of digits [sumdigits.py]
   4. Nested lists: is an item in a list? [isinlist.py]
   5. Tower of Hanoi [hanoi.py]

6. Using random numbers
   1. import random
   2. Problem: compute π by tossing darts at a unit square
   3. First build routine to simulate dart toss at unit square [mc-1.py]
   4. Then build routine to see if co-ordinates are in unit circle [mc-2.py]
   5. Then build routine to read in number of tosses [mc-3.py]
   6. Put it all together [mc-4.py]
   7. Graphics! [mc-5.py]

Matt Bishop Office: 2209 Watershed Sciences Phone: +1 (530) 752-8060 Email: mabishop@ucdavis.edu

ECS 235A, Computer and Information Security Version of October 16, 2024 at 9:40PM

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