Chapter 1. Small problems

To get started, we will explore some simple problems that can be solved with no more than a few relatively short functions. Although these problems are small, they will still allow us to explore some interesting problem-solving techniques. Think of them as a good warmup.

1.1. The Fibonacci sequence

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers such that any number, except for the first and second, is the sum of the previous two:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...

The value of the first Fibonacci number in the series is 0. The value of the fourth Fibonacci number is 2. It follows that to get the value of any Fibonacci number, n, in the series, one can use the formula

fib(n) = fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2)

1.1.1. A first recursive ...

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