How to develop logic or approach for solving a question?

As a programmer in your initial days, you might encounter a common and reasonable problem: struggling to come up with code solutions while practicing coding questions and working with data structures. Despite knowing the syntax of programming languages well, you may find yourself unable to crack certain problems, leading to frustration and demotivation.

Fear not! We’ll explore an approach that can transform your problem-solving experience. Instead of viewing coding questions as mere technical exercises, let’s treat them as riddles waiting to be solved. Just like solving a riddle, we’ll engage our minds and build step-by-step solutions. Here’s how you can approach it:

1. Think of Questions as Riddles

When faced with a coding question, shift your perspective. Imagine it as a riddle—a puzzle waiting to be unraveled. Riddles often require creative thinking, lateral reasoning, and a dash of intuition. Similarly, approach coding questions with curiosity and an open mind.

2. Solve on Paper

1. Break It Down: Start by breaking down the problem into smaller components. Identify the key elements, constraints, and requirements.
2. Design Your Solution: Just as you would sketch out a solution for a riddle, jot down your thoughts on paper. Consider different approaches and explore them visually.
3. Dry Run Test Cases: Run through test cases mentally or, better yet, on paper. Visualize how your solution behaves with sample inputs. This process keeps you engaged and helps you spot potential flaws.

3. The Power of Paper

Why solve on paper? Here are some advantages:

• Focus: When you write on paper, distractions fade away. You’re fully immersed in the problem.
• Creativity: Scribbling allows you to explore multiple paths simultaneously. You might discover a hybrid solution by combining ideas from different sketches.
• Algorithm Design: Your paper solution becomes the algorithm you’ve designed. It’s the blueprint for your code.

Remember, “A piece of paper has been a best friend to humans even before computers existed.” Leverage this timeless tool to your advantage.

4. Transition to Code

Now that you’ve cracked the riddle on paper, it’s time to translate it into code:

1. Divide and Conquer: Break your solution into smaller parts. Write code snippets for each component.
2. Integration: Arrange these code snippets to form a cohesive solution. Pay attention to details like variable names, edge cases, and readability.
3. Bingo!: You’ve achieved the solution. Compile, test, and submit your code.

To summarize this article, these are the steps you can follow:

1. Think of questions as riddles: Try thinking of different solutions to the problem and just note down all the approaches you can think of.
2. Arrange the steps of your solution in such a way that you get a properly working algorithm and that properly arranged solution is your algorithm.
3. Try to code each and every part algorithm separately and arrange all those separate code snippets to develop a final code to be submitted.

An example:

One example of how you can tackle such questions:

Let us say we have to find whether a number is prime number where the number n is taken as input.

Approach to build:

Here you will check if the number is prime or not. Think of it as you are finding a prime number in your math question. How do you say is a number is prime or not. You say that if a number is divisible by 1 and itself than the number is prime, otherwise not.

A Python Example:

Now see this code explaining itself:

#python program
n=int(input())
ans=1
for i in range(2,n//2+1): # checking if the number is divisible by any other number smaller than it
    if(n%i==0):
        ans=0
        break
if(ans==1):
    print("number is Prime")
else:
    print("number is not Prime")
                

In the for loop we check all the numbers smaller than its half are factors of the number or not. And using this logic we could find the question.

Some important points to remember:

The Art of Problem Solving

Sometimes arriving at a solution can be messy, but writing it down on paper helps clarify your thoughts. Break the problem into smaller steps, just like you would in a math exam.

Master Data Structures and Algorithms

Invest time in learning data structures and algorithms. They not only optimize your code in terms of time complexity but also provide tools to tackle various problem types. A solid understanding of programming languages is equally crucial.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Remember, practice makes perfect. Regular coding practice sharpens your skills, builds confidence, and helps you improve. Keep pushing forward, adapt, and evolve.

For this you can use platforms like LeetCode , GeeksforGeeks , CodeChef , Coding Ninjas etc.

Conclusion

Next time you face a coding question, remember this process. Treat it as a riddle, solve it on paper, and then code it up. With practice, you’ll find that the transition from riddles to code becomes smoother. Happy coding!

Feel free to adapt and expand upon this article as needed. Happy problem-solving! 🚀📝

Thank you for reading this.