Trace Semantics of Programs,

or Programs as Sequences
Prof Sane
● Write a python function to calculate factorial of n
● For this course, we want programs are easily translatable between a
spreadsheet view and the program statements
○ This means we dont want recursive functions etc.
● One point of the course is to internalize the view of programs as sequences of
histories or traces or sequences of variable values
● No IO inside functions, no print, no input etc.
● Only thing we have is functions which take some input parameters and return
results
● Printing if any will occur in some supporting function if needed
● Only python allowed is functions, if/else, while, i = i + 1, Lists and Tuples
● P(1) before the while loop, P(k) => P(k+1) is the while loop body
● NEVER MODIFY PARAMETERS
Desired version of code: clear link to induction and spreadsheet
def fact(n):
steps = 1
inputSoFar = 1
accResult = 1 # P(1) is true here
while steps < n:
# P(k) holds here
inputSoFar = inputSoFar + 1
accResult = accResult * inputSoFar
# P(k+1) is true here
steps = steps + 1
return accResult
Prof Sane: The design of while loops
● A loop is about the inductive property of sequences of variable values
● What is P(1) -- what is the “setup” of a loop
○ Just after the setup and before the loop, you must establish property P for the first step
○ amount = initial_amount*(1 + r)
● This ensures that just after the test of the while loop, and just before the body
P(1) holds the first time
● If the body gets you to P(2) then P(2) holds before the next iteration
● AND SO ON -- “and so on” is the fundamental principle of loops
● The test tells you when to stop, often depending on parameters
○ Here the key question is things like is the test “<” , or “<=”
○ The test depends on expected values
● In your head, you have to create a spreadsheet and mimic in the code
● 9 times of out 10, you should not have to debug your loop
Prof Sane def comp(p, r, y):
def comp(p, r, y): year = 1
year = 1 amount = p
year = 1
amount = 100 interest = amount * r/100
amount = 100
interest = amount * r/100 aplusi = amount + interest
interest = amount * r/100
aplusi = amount + interest while year < y:
aplusi = amount + interest
while year < y: year = year + 1
while :
year = year + 1 amount = aplusi
year = year + 1
amount = aplusi interest = amount * r/100
amount = aplusi
interest = amount * r/100 aplusi = amount + interest
interest = amount * r/100
aplusi = amount + interest return amount
aplusi = amount + interest

return amount
Prof Sane
def comp(p, r, y): # P(p, r, y) == p*(1+r)^y
compound amount has a closed form
year = 1 formula
amount = p
n! → 1*2*.. n
interest = amount * r/100

aplusi = amount + interest

while year < y:

year = year + 1 # year_k+1 == year_k + 1

amount = aplusi # amount_k+1 == aplusi_k

interest = amount * r/100 # interest_k+1 == amount_k+1*r/100

aplusi = amount + interest # aplus_k+1 == amount_k+1 + interest_k+1

# we have establish P(k+1)

# whatever we return will be the result of P(k+1)

return amount # → you will actually get amount_k over here rather k+1
Problem: timestamped values
# P(k) ==> accResult_(k) == inputSoFar_(k)*(inputSoFar_(k) + 1)/2

Put P(k), # time here is k

P(k+1) and
inputSoFar = inputSoFar + 1
timestamped
variables for # inputSoFar_k+1 = inputSoFar_k + 1
the comp()
function just accResult = accResult + inputSoFar
like we did for
# accResult_(k+1) = accResult_(k) + inputSoFar_(k)+1
the sumt
function in the steps = steps + 1
4th lecture last
time. # P(k+1) ==> accResult_(k+1) == inputSoFar_(k+1)*(inputSoFar_(k+1) + 1)/2
year = 1

amount = 100

interest = amount * r/100

aplusi = amount + interest

while :

year = year + 1

amount = aplusi

interest = amount * r/100

aplusi = amount + interest

Prajas Naik def comp(p, r, y):

steps = 1

aPlusI = p
def factorial(n):

i=1 years = 0
fact = 1
while (years < y):
while (i <= n):
years = years + 1
fact = fact * i

i += 1 amount = aPlusI
return fact
aPlusI = aPlusI * (1 + r)

interest = aPlusI - amount

steps = steps + 1

return aPlusI
Pratik Patil
def factorial(n):

if n == 0:

return 1

else:

return n * factorial(n-1)

n = int(input("Enter a number: "))

print("The factorial of",n,"is",factorial(n))

Sneh Pahuja
def factorial(n): def calccompound (years, pAmount, r):
steps = 1 time = 1
inputSoFar = 1 rate = r /100
accResult = 1 interest = pAmount * rate
while steps <= n: amount = pAmount + interest
inputSoFar = inputSoFar + 1 while time < years:
accResult = accResult * inputSoFar time = time + 1
return accResult # time(k) = time(k-1) + 1
interest = amount * rate
# interest(k + 1) = amount(k -1) * rate (k - 1)
amount = amount + interest
# amount (k + 2) = amount ( k - 1) + interest( k + 1)
return interest
# return interest(k + 1)
Sneh Pahuja (updated)
def factorial(n):
steps = 0
inputSoFar = 1
accResult = 1
while steps <= n:
inputSoFar = inputSoFar + 1
accResult = accResult * inputSoFar
steps = steps + 1
return accResult
 Nidhi
def factorial(n) : def comp(p,r,y)
Steps =1
inputsofar=1 year = 1
accResult=1 amount = 100
while steps < n : interest = 10
accResult = accResult * inputsofar aplusi = 110
inputsofar = inputsofar + 1
steps = steps + 1 while year < y
return accResult amount = aplusi
interest = amount * 0.1
aplusi = amount + interest
year = year + 1

return aplusi
Nidhi interest = amount * r/100
def comp(p, r, y):
#interst_k+1 = amount_(k+1) * r/100
year = 1

amount = p
aplusi = amount + interest
interest = amount * r/100
#aplusi_k+1 = amount_(k+1) + interest_(k+1)
aplusi = amount + interest

while year < y:

#P(k) ==> aplusi_k == amount_k + interes _k #P(k+1) ==> aplusi_k+1 == amount_(k+1) + interest_(k+1)

# time here is k

year = year + 1 return aplusi

# year_k+1 == year_k + 1

amount = aplusi

# amount_k+1 == aplusi_(k)
Rishi
def factorial(n): def compound_interest(p,r, t):

i=1
if n == 0:
while i <= t:
return 1
p = p * (1 + r / 100)
else:
i += 1
return n * factorial(n-1) return principal
Deevankumar
def factorial (x):

if x == 0:

return 1

else:

return(x)*factorial(x-1
)
 def comp(p, r, y):

year = 1

Ayesha amount = p

interest = amount * r/100

aplusi = amount + interest

N = int(input("Enter a number."))
fact = 1 P(k) ⇒ amount_k

print (range(1,N)) while year < y:

print(range(1, N+1))
year = year + 1
for i in range(1,N+1):
fact = fact*i #year_k+1 = year_k + 1
print("N! is: ", fact)
amount = aplusi

def compound(n): #amount_k = aplusi_k

amount = 100
interest = amount * r/100
year = 1
interest = 10
# interest_k = amount_k *r/100

while year <= n: aplusi = amount + interest

aplusi = amount + interest
interest = interest + 1 #aplusi_k+1 = #amount_k+1 + interest_k+1
amount = aplusi
return aplusi return amount

#return amount_k+1

P_k+1 ⇒ amount_k+1
Kinjal
number = n (where n is taken from the person)

prevnum = n-1

factorial = number * prevnum

newnumber = number - 1

while n>=1:

factorial = newnumber * prevnum

newnumber = number - 1
Diya Gambhir
num = int(input("Enter a number: "))
factorial = 1

if num < 0:
print("Sorry, factorial does not exist for negative numbers")
elif num == 0:
print("The factorial of 0 is 1")
else:
for i in range(1,num + 1):
factorial = factorial*i
print("The factorial of",num,"is",factorial)

def comp(p,r,y):

year = 1
amount = 100
interest = amount*r/100
aplusi = amount+interest

while year>y :
year = year + 1
amount = aplusi
interest = amount*r/100
aplusi = amount+interest

return amount
 while year < y:
Aadil
year = year + 1

x=1 # year(k-1) = year(k)

amount = 100 amount = aplusi

interest = 0.1
# amount(k) = aplusi(k+1)
aplusi = amount+(amount*interest)
interest = amount * r/100
years = 9

aplusi = amount + interest

while x < years:

aplusi = aplusi+(aplusi*interest)
return aplusi
print(f"aplusi = {aplusi} for Year {x}")

x = x+1
 Bhargavi
def factorial(n):

fact = n

while fact>=1:

factorial = 1 * fact

fact = fact - 1

Return factorial
 Bhargavi
def comp(p,r,n):

steps = 1

accResult = p

while steps <=n :

accResult = accResult * (1+r)

steps = steps + 1

return accResult
Gurpreet def comp(p,y,r):

amount = p def comp(p,y,r):

interest = amount * r/100 years = 1
def fact(n): aplusi = amount + interest
amount = p
steps = 1
interest = amount * r/100
inputSoFar = 1 while years < y:

accResult = 1 amount = aplusi aplusi = amount + interest

interest = amount * r/100

while steps < n: aplusi = amount + interest

while years < y:
inputSoFar = years = years + 1
inputSoFar + 1 amount = aplusi
return amount

interest = amount * r/100

accResult =
accResult * inputSoFar
aplusi = amount + interest
years = years + 1
steps =
steps + 1
return amount

return accResult
 def comp(p, r, y):

year = 1
Kinjal amount = p

interest = amount * r/100

amount = n (taken from person)
aplusi = amount + interest
years = m (taken from person)
while year < y:

year = year + 1

while n <= m: amount = aplusi

# at time k=0
interest = amount * 0.1
interest = amount * r/100
aplusi = amount + interest
# at time k=0
amount = aplusi
aplusi = amount + interest

# at time k=1

# up to time k=y-1

return amount