[Year 12 SofDev] An algorithm puzzler for your kids (and you?)

[Robert Hind]

Hi Mark,

There was always more than one way to skin a cat.

But it is good to see that our kids - sorry students - can come up with 
alternative ways of doing things - that is what education should be about.

Robert


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Kelly" <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
To: "Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List" 
<sofdev at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 5:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] An algorithm puzzler for your kids (and you?)


>3 solutions for the price of one!
>
> Just goes to show the many ways an algorithm can take shape.
>
> Would be interesting to iterate each one a million times to compare 
> relative execution speeds...
>
> Mark
>
> Robert Hind wrote:
>> But you could of course use the ROUNDUP function
>>
>> =(ROUNDUP(n*4,0)/4)
>>
>> Robert Hind (Semi-retired)
>> Ex Traralgon and Ashwood
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Hind" <robert at yinnar.com>
>> To: "Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List" 
>> <sofdev at edulists.com.au>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 2:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] An algorithm puzzler for your kids (and 
>> you?)
>>
>>
>>> Like it!
>>>
>>> What a great way of rounding up to the nearest 0.25. Give the kid a 
>>> banana, no give her/him a whole bunch - after all they are down to under 
>>> $3 a kilo now!
>>>
>>> Robert Hind (Semi-retired)
>>> Ex Traralgon and Ashwood
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Kelly" 
>>> <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
>>> To: "Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List" 
>>> <sofdev at edulists.com.au>
>>> Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 10:43 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] An algorithm puzzler for your kids (and 
>>> you?)
>>>
>>>
>>>> A neat second method developed by one of my kids follows at the 
>>>> bottom...
>>>>
>>>> It's better than mine...  sometimes I hate kids!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mark Kelly wrote:
>>>>> Whilst battling to get a database to calculate averaged VELS domain 
>>>>> scores from dimension scores, I faced an interesting problem you might 
>>>>> want to set your kids for tackling algorithms.  (A handy way of 
>>>>> filling in a messy 5 excess minutes at the end of a period?)
>>>>>
>>>>> Domain scores are rounded up to the nearest 0.25, so 4.01, 4.1 and 
>>>>> 4.24 become 4.25.  And 4.76 and 4.99 become 5.0.
>>>>>
>>>>> I spent quite some time scribbling and testing with Excel to get it 
>>>>> right.  The solution appears under my sig if you are interested.
>>>>>
>>>>> The satisfaction I felt when I solved it reminded me of why I got into 
>>>>> programming in the first place :-)
>>>>>
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>>  thinking music
>>>>>  .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>>  thinking music
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>>  thinking music
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>>  thinking music
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>> .
>>>>>  thinking music
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> =(-INT(-n*4)/4)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> http://www.edulists.com.au
>>>> IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by
>>>> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment 
>>>> Authority and
>>>> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology 
>>>> Teachers Association Inc
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> http://www.edulists.com.au
>>> IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by
>>> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment 
>>> Authority and
>>> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology 
>>> Teachers Association Inc
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> http://www.edulists.com.au
>> IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by
>> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment 
>> Authority and
>> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology 
>> Teachers Association Inc
>>
>>
>
> -- 
> Mark Kelly
> Manager - Information Systems
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
> School Phone +613 8520 9000 << new number!
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>
> Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
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>
> Doctor - We must all face reality sooner or later.
> Dowd   - I wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I'm happy to 
> say I won out over it.  ('Harvey', 1950)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au
> IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 
> and
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers 
> Association Inc
>