Introduction To Problem Solving In Computer Science

Solving problems is the core of computer science. Programmers must first understand how a human solves a problem then understand how to translate this algorithm into something a computer can do and finally how to write the specific syntax (required by a computer) to get the job done. It is sometimes the case that a machine will solve a problem in a completely different way than a human. An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that will always produce a correct solution. A mathematical formula is a good example of a problem-solving algorithm. While an algorithm guarantees an accurate answer it is not always the best approach to problem-solving. This strategy is not practical for many situations because it can be so time-consuming. For example if you were trying to figure out all of the possible number combinations to a lock using an algorithm it would take a very long time.