The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms Through Puzzles and Strategy Games

An engaging and approachable resource for beginning-to-intermediate coders eager to learn advanced ideas in computer programming.

In The Computer Always Wins, Elliot Lichtman will teach you some of computer science’s most powerful concepts in a refreshingly accessible way: exploring them through word games, board games, and strategy games you already know. Learn recursion by playing tic-tac-toe, efficient search through puzzle games like sudoku and Wordle, and machine learning by way of the playground classic rock-paper-scissors. Finish the book, and you’ll come away with not only a deeper understanding of these foundational programming techniques but also a new appreciation for the amazing feats that can be accomplished using simple, readable code.

Elliot Joseph Lichtman started teaching online classes in computer science in March 2020. At the time, he was a freshman in high school. His small classes in algorithm design quickly grew into a series of larger and longer offerings. From those offerings, this book was born. Lichtman is now studying at Yale University.