Programming for Problem Solving (CS 101) - Semester 1 MCA at AUB

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Overview

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Why it matters

C is the mother of all programming languages. Linux kernel, operating systems, embedded systems, Arduino — all run on C. Learn C, and you understand how computers actually work at the memory level.

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Placement relevance

While interviews use Java/Python, C builds your foundation. Companies test pointer concepts, memory management. Strong C knowledge = easier transition to C++/Java. Essential for core companies like Intel, Qualcomm.

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Prerequisites for

Data Structures · Operating Systems · Compiler Design · Embedded Systems · System Programming · C++ Programming

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Recommended books

Let Us C by Yashavant Kanetkar · The C Programming Language by K&R (Kernighan and Ritchie) · Programming in ANSI C by E. Balagurusamy · C Programming: A Modern Approach by K. N. King

Curriculum — 3 Units

U1

Unit 1 · 7 Topics · 0% complete

Introduction to C Programming

⚡ Key Formulae

Data Type Sizes:int=4 bytes, char=1 byte, float=4 bytes, double=8 bytes

Operator Precedence:() > * / % > + - > relational > logical > assignment

Problem Solving

Algorithms

Flowcharts

C Structure

Data Types

Variables

Operators

U2

Unit 2 · 6 Topics · 0% complete

Control Structures

⚡ Key Formulae

For Loop Syntax:for(init; condition; increment) { body }

Loop Time Complexity:Nested loops: O(n²), Single loop: O(n)

if-else

switch-case

for loop

while loop

do-while

break & continue

U3

Unit 3 · 6 Topics · 0% complete

Functions and Arrays

⚡ Key Formulae

Array Memory:arr[i] address = base_address + (i × sizeof(type))

Pointer Arithmetic:ptr + 1 moves by sizeof(type) bytes

String End:Strings always end with '\0' (null character)

Functions

Recursion

Arrays

2D Arrays

Strings

Pointers

Previous Year Questions

Unit 32023 · End Semester10 marks

Write a C program to implement matrix multiplication for two 3x3 matrices. Use pointers and dynamic memory allocation.

Unit 22023 · Mid Semester6 marks

Explain the difference between while and do-while loops with examples. Write a program to print Fibonacci series using do-while.

Unit 32022 · End Semester10 marks

Write a recursive function to calculate factorial of a number. Also write the iterative version. Compare time and space complexity.

Unit 12022 · Mid Semester5 marks

Explain operator precedence in C with an example. Evaluate: a = 10 + 5 * 2 / 2 - 3

Exam Strategy

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Write syntax correctly

Common mistakes: Forgetting semicolons, wrong bracket placement, printf/scanf format specifiers (%d, %f, %c). Practice writing code on paper without compiler.

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Pointers are 30% marks

Master pointer basics: &variable (address), *pointer (value). Pointer arithmetic, array-pointer relationship, pointer to pointer. This topic is guaranteed in every exam.

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Recursion vs Iteration

Every exam asks to write both versions. Recursion: elegant but uses stack space O(n). Iteration: less elegant but space O(1). Know when to use which.

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Trace the output

10-15 marks are 'What is the output?' questions. Practice dry running code with loop counters, pointer values. Watch for post/pre increment (i++ vs ++i).

Related Subjects

Semester 2

Data Structures

CS 102

Semester 3

Object Oriented Programming (Java)

CS 203