David Amos

Revisiting Rock Paper Scissors in Python

Revisiting Rock Paper Scissors in Python

When you learn to program for the first time, you look for (or, perhaps, are assigned) projects that reinforce basic concepts. But how often do you, once you've attained more knowledge and experience, revisit those beginner projects from the perspective of an an advanced programmer?

The Right Way To Compare Floats in Python

The Right Way To Compare Floats in Python

Floating-point numbers are a fast and efficient way to store and work with numbers, but they come with a range of pitfalls that have surely stumped many fledgling programmers — perhaps some experienced programmers, too!

3 Tips For Writing Pythonic Code

3 Tips For Writing Pythonic Code

A common question I’ve seen from beginning Python programmers is, “How do I make my code more Pythonic?” The problem with a word like “Pythonic” is that its meaning is nebulous: it means different things to different people.

Why Can't You Reverse A String With a Flag Emoji?

Why Can't You Reverse A String With a Flag Emoji?

Some unexpected output leads to an investigation into character encodings, Unicode, and a whole lot of flags.

How To Stay Curious as a Coder

Self Improvement

How To Stay Curious as a Coder

Curiosity is not an immutable trait. You can learn how to be more curious.

5 Ways To Use Python On An iPad

5 Ways To Use Python On An iPad

I ditched my MacBook Pro for an iPad Pro. Here’s how I code in Python on my iPad.

3 Things You Might Not Know About Numbers in Python

3 Things You Might Not Know About Numbers in Python

If you’ve written anything in Python, you’ve probably used a number in one of your programs. But there’s more to numbers than just their raw values.

How To Learn Anything

Self Improvement

How To Learn Anything

Learning an new skill is exciting. But learning how to learn is an underdeveloped skill. Fortunately, there’s only one thing you need to know.

A Different Take on Differentiation

A Different Take on Differentiation

I recently came across a tweet with a screenshot from a calculus book that defines the derivative with no mention of a limit. Not even Leibniz’s differentials have a home here. And although the definition is quite verbose, I found that it makes the derivative feel natural — tangible even.

Ramsey Numbers: A Problem of Galactic Proportions

Ramsey Numbers: A Problem of Galactic Proportions

When aliens attack, do you do the math or fight back? According to the prolific mathematician Paul Erdös, if aliens threaten to obliterate us if we can't calculate the Ramsey number for red six and blue six, then we better start fighting.

The Reasonable Ineffectiveness of Defining Mathematics

The Reasonable Ineffectiveness of Defining Mathematics

Mathematics is hard to define. But why?

The Recovering Mathematician

The Recovering Mathematician

For the past few years, I've referred to myself as a recovering mathematician. Let me explain.