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Indentation: Quiz II in Python - Time Complexity: O(1)


Quiz: What would this code produce if we were to copy-paste it in a code editor and run it?

def welcome_user():
	print("Hey coder!")
print("Welcome back!")
welcome_user()

Options:

Important Note:

Do not use an actual code editor to get the answer! It would defy the whole purpose of the quiz!

Instructions:

Pick your answer and assign variable answer in the code editor with that answer.

For example, if you think the answer to the quiz is B, write answer = "B" in the code editor and press Validate Solution!.

Understanding the Problem

The core challenge of this problem is to understand the order of execution in Python and how indentation affects the flow of the program. This problem is significant because it tests your understanding of function definitions and the sequence in which statements are executed in Python.

Common applications of understanding code execution order include debugging, writing efficient code, and ensuring that functions and statements are executed in the correct order.

Potential pitfalls include misunderstanding the order of execution and the role of indentation in Python, which can lead to incorrect assumptions about the output.

Approach

To solve this problem, we need to carefully analyze the given code and understand the sequence in which the statements will be executed:

  1. The function welcome_user is defined but not executed immediately.
  2. The statement print("Welcome back!") is executed next, printing "Welcome back!" to the console.
  3. Finally, the function welcome_user is called, which prints "Hey coder!" to the console.

Thus, the correct output is:

Welcome back!
Hey coder!

Algorithm

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the algorithm:

  1. Define the function welcome_user which prints "Hey coder!".
  2. Print "Welcome back!" to the console.
  3. Call the function welcome_user to print "Hey coder!" to the console.

Code Implementation

def welcome_user():
    # This function prints "Hey coder!" when called
    print("Hey coder!")

# Print "Welcome back!" to the console
print("Welcome back!")

# Call the function welcome_user to print "Hey coder!"
welcome_user()

Complexity Analysis

The time complexity of this code is O(1) because it consists of a fixed number of operations that do not depend on any input size. The space complexity is also O(1) as it does not use any additional space that scales with input size.

Edge Cases

There are no significant edge cases for this problem as the code does not take any input and the output is deterministic based on the given statements.

Testing

To test this solution, you can simply run the code in a Python environment and verify that the output matches the expected result:

# Expected output:
# Welcome back!
# Hey coder!

Thinking and Problem-Solving Tips

When approaching such problems, it is important to carefully read and understand the code. Pay attention to the order of execution and the role of indentation in Python. Practice by writing and running similar code snippets to reinforce your understanding.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we discussed a simple Python code snippet and analyzed its output. We covered the importance of understanding code execution order and indentation in Python. By practicing such problems, you can improve your debugging skills and write more efficient code.

Additional Resources