Teachers

Problem solving

What is problem solving?

Problem solving is the process of understanding a challenge, breaking it into smaller pieces, and creating a step-by-step plan to solve it. Programming is not about memorizing syntax, it's about learning how to think clearly and logically.

You can think of problem solving like giving instructions to a robot: every step must be precise, ordered, and unambiguous.

// A simple problem:
// Given an array of numbers, return the largest one.

function findMax(numbers) {
  let max = numbers[0];

  for (const num of numbers) {
    if (num > max) {
      max = num;
    }
  }

  return max;
}

This solution didn’t come from magic, it came from breaking the problem down and solving one part at a time.

Unfortunately computers are stupid and finding the right commands can be tough, as the following video shows you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDA3_5982h8&t=180s

<aside>

💡 Insight : Good developers don’t start by writing code, they start by understanding the problem deeply.

</aside>

Why problem solving matters

Programming languages, tools, and libraries will keep changing over time, but strong problem-solving skills stay with you forever. You’ll rely on them every day as a developer, when fixing bugs, building new features, designing systems, improving performance, reading other people’s code, preparing for interviews, and working with a team. Problem-solving is what helps you think clearly, break down challenges, and find solutions even when you don’t know the answer right away. It’s the foundation of becoming a confident, real-world developer, no matter which technology you’re using.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is the foundation of programming. It’s not about typing code, it’s about thinking, understanding problems, breaking them down, and creating a clear plan that a computer can follow.

Problem solving method

Milestone 1: Ask questions & clarify the problem statement clearly.

Milestone 2: Finalize approach & execution plan

Milestone 3: Come up with an "Instruction Manual"

Milestone 4: Code by expanding your "Instruction Manual"

Milestone 5: Prove that your code works using custom test cases

Summary Table

Milestone	Goal	Output
1. Understand the problem	Clarify inputs/outputs	Examples + edge cases
2. Finalize approach	Choose best method	Strategy explanation
3. Instruction Manual	Write pseudocode	Step-by-step plan
4. Code solution	Convert plan to JS	Working program
5. Test thoroughly	Ensure correctness	Custom test cases

Additional resources

🎥 Videos

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Icons

*https://hackyourfuture.net/*

Found a mistake or have a suggestion? Let us know in the feedback form.

Week 5 - Problem solving methods