Week 9 of 43
Foundation
WEEK 9 LEARNING MODULE
Python Built-in Functions & Object-Oriented Classes
Explores Python built-in utilities (zip, enumerate, map, filter, sorted), object-oriented programming with classes, dunder methods, and common pitfalls.
3 Practice Problems4 Core ConceptsVerified Curriculum: high Confidence
What You'll Learn
- ✓Effectively use built-in functions: zip(), enumerate(), map(), filter(), sorted(), min(), and max().
- ✓Define custom classes with __init__, self, instance attributes, and magic methods (__str__, __len__, __eq__).
- ✓Avoid critical Python pitfalls: mutable default arguments and modifying collections during iteration.
- ✓Implement Moore's Voting Algorithm for linear-time majority element detection with $O(1)$ space.
Core Concepts
Python Built-in Functional Utilities
Leveraging zip(), enumerate(), map(), filter(), and sorted() for clean functional data transformations.
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
Creating reusable classes, encapsulating state, and defining instance methods.
Magic (Dunder) Methods
Overloading built-in operations using __str__, __repr__, __len__, and __eq__.
Mutable Default Arguments Pitfall
Understanding why default arguments like def fn(x=[]) persist across function calls and how to use None defaults.
Algorithms Covered
Boyer-Moore Voting AlgorithmCustom Comparator SortingString AlternationHierarchical Domain Counting
Data Structures Applied
ClassesDictionariesListsTuples
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. Add a touch of class to everything you do.”
— Jimmy Johnson