The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games
By (Author) Elliot Lichtman
MIT Press Ltd
MIT Press
27th May 2025
29th April 2025
United States
General
Non Fiction
Programming techniques
005.13
Paperback
208
Width 152mm, Height 229mm
An engaging and approachable resource for beginning-to-intermediate coders eager to learn advanced ideas in computer programming. An engaging and approachable resource for beginning-to-intermediate coders eager to learn advanced ideas in computer programming. In The Computer Always Wins, Elliot Lichtman will teach you some of computer science's most powerful concepts in a refreshingly accessible way- exploring them through word games, board games, and strategy games you already know. Learn recursion by playing tic-tac-toe, efficient search through puzzle games like sudoku and Wordle, and machine learning by way of the playground classic rock-paper-scissors. Finish the book, and you'll come away with not only a deeper understanding of these foundational programming techniques but also a new appreciation for the amazing feats that can be accomplished using simple, readable code.
Elliot Lichtman started teaching online classes in computer science when he was a freshman in high school. Small classes quickly grew into a series of larger and longer offerings, and from those, this book was born. Elliot is currently a sophomore at Yale University.