vii
vii
Contents
Preface........................................................................................................................xi
Acknowledgments....................................................................................................xiii
Author Biography.....................................................................................................xv
Introduction�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1
Chapter 1
What Is an Algorithm?..........................................................................5
Chapter 2
Build Your Own Game with a Simple Algorithm—Tic Tac Toe.........13
2.1
How to Get Started....................................................................13
2.2
How to Get Warmed Up............................................................16
2.3
How to Build the Screen (UI, User Interface)..........................19
2.4
Building a “Game” from a “Widget”........................................22
2.5
Understanding the Need for an Algorithm................................28
2.6
How to Test Drive Your New Creation......................................32
2.7
Conclusion................................................................................34
Chapter 3
Explore Your Deductive Logic—Solve a Sudoku Forever..................35
3.1
The Basic Code for solving a Sudoku.......................................38
3.2
Iterative build of CantBeList.....................................................41
3.3
Algorithms that a computer can solve better than humans.......42
3.4
3 by 3 grid interaction...............................................................45
3.5
Love-Locked Pair......................................................................49
3.6
The Golden Triangle.................................................................53
3.7
The Polyomino..........................................................................56
3.8
Matching Twins.........................................................................60
3.9
Conclusion................................................................................67
Chapter 4
Introduction to Multiplatform Integration—Build Your
Own Remote Control..........................................................................69
4.1
Connecting the smartphone to the laptop – virtually................70
4.2
Settings in Powerpoint..............................................................71
4.3
Standard Functions...................................................................73
4.4
Reading the Googledocs input..................................................73
4.5
Taking over Keyboard Controls................................................78
4.6
Conclusion................................................................................80