Invited Talk: Exploring Theoretical Computer Science Through Play
Date:
I felt truly privileged to be invited once again as a guest speaker at my school. The event was made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of our dedicated math teachers and the kind support of our principal, Mrs. S. Sindhu.
This time, I couldn’t resist sharing my excitement for theoretical computer science. I introduced students to the art of algorithmic thinking, with a special focus on the idea of lower bounds. Through simple, interactive games that made the concept more tangible. Using sorting as the central example, we explored how one can reason about the minimum possible number of steps needed to solve a problem computationally.
To keep the curiosity going, I had also prepared a short handout with puzzles and problems for interested students. I was genuinely moved by their enthusiasm. Many of them were eagerly to own a copy of the handout that we quickly ran out of copies!
For anyone interested, I’ve shared the slides and handouts here.
