6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python is intended for students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems and to help students, regardless of their major, feel justifiably confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals. The class will use the Python 3.5 programming language.
This is a half-semester course. Students who successfully complete 6.0001 may continue into 6.0002 Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science, which is taught in the second half of the semester. Goals
Provide an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems.
Help students, including those who do not plan to major in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, feel confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals. Position students so that they can compete for research projects and excel in subjects with programming components.
The textbook is Guttag, John. Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python: With Application to Understanding Data Second Edition. MIT Press, 2016. ISBN: 9780262529624. The book and the course lectures parallel each other, though there is more detail in the book about some topics.