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Kotlin from Scratch

A Project-Based Introduction for the Intrepid Programmer
by Faisal Islam
November 2024, 432 pp.
ISBN-13: 
9781718503526
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Download Chapter 4: Fun With Math

Look Inside!

Kotlin from Scratch back cover
Kotlin for the Curious pages 12–13Kotlin for the Curious pages 346–347

Kotlin isn’t just for building Android apps. As you’ll learn in Kotlin from Scratch, it’s also a general programming language for crafting both elegant and efficient code.

With the aid of 37 hands-on projects, you’ll move quickly through the language basics while building your problem-solving skills, even tackling advanced concepts like fractals, dynamic systems, and nature-inspired algorithms. You’ll explore the way Kotlin handles variables, control structures, functions, classes, and data structures, and you’ll learn to create visualizations using Kotlin and the JavaFX graphics library. Then you’ll build increasingly sophisticated apps to practice what you’ve learned while tackling challenges from math and science to algorithms and optimization.

As you progress through the book, you will:

  • Simulate physical systems, like the intricate dance of binary stars
  • Implement the classic Hill cipher for encryption and decryption 
  • Generate beautiful fractals with recursive algorithms 
  • Program classic computer science algorithms for sorting and searching
  • Solve the infamous Berlin52 traveling salesman problem 

Expand your language repertoire and improve your computational thinking with Kotlin from Scratch.

Author Bio 

Faisal Islam is a manager, educator, developer, and author of both fiction and nonfiction. With over two decades of coding experience in languages such as C, Java, Python, and Kotlin, he thrives on solving complex real-world challenges. Faisal’s background in engineering and economics equips him with a unique perspective, allowing him to apply computational thinking, modeling, simulation, and optimization techniques effectively.

Beyond his technical pursuits, Faisal is an advocate for STEM education, particularly among young learners. His passion lies in inspiring the next generation of coders. In his spare time, Faisal enjoys photography, sci-fi novels, and travelling with his family.

Table of contents 

Acknowledgments 
Introduction 
PART I: PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS 
Chapter 1: Kotlin Basics 
Chapter 2: Arrays, Collections, and Classes 
Chapter 3: Visualizing with JavaFX 
PART II: APPLICATIONS IN MATH AND SCIENCE 
Chapter 4: Solving Mathematical Problems with Code 
Chapter 5: Modeling and Simulation 
PART III: RECURSION, SORTING, AND SEARCHING 
Chapter 6: Recursive Functions and Fractals 
Chapter 7: Sorting and Searching 
PART IV: OPTIMIZATION WITH NATURE-INSPIRED ALGORITHMS 
Chapter 8: The Genetic Algorithm 
Chapter 9: Agent-Based Algorithms 
Afterword 
Appendix 

Index 

View the detailed Table of Contents

The chapters in red are included in this Early Access PDF.

Reviews 

"Do you want to have fun . . . and learn programming with Kotlin in one book? Faisal Islam wrote that perfect book for you! [F]ocused on a lot of practical examples from the world . . . a good foundation for further advanced topics."
— Matthias Schenk, Kotlin software engineer & craftsman, @Finanzguru