Algorithm Education in Python

Design and analysis of algorithms are a fundamental topic in computer science and engineering education. Many algorithms courses include programming assignments to help students better understand the algorithms. Unfortunately, the use of traditional programming languages forces students to deal with details of data structures and supporting routines, rather than algorithm design. Python represents an algorithm-oriented language that has been sorely needed in education. The advantages of Python include its textbook-like syntax and interactivity that encourages experimentation. More importantly, we report our novel use of Python for representing aggregate data structures such as graphs and flow networks in a concise textual form, which not only encourages students to experiment with the algorithms but also dramatically cuts development time. These features have been implemented in a graduate level algorithms course with successful results.