Question

Please have mercy on this complete idiot - I'm trying to do problem set 1 and am utterly stumped. I know very little about computers and nothing about Python except what the lectures and a bit of casual browsing have taught me.

Here's my code:
primeCount = 1
currentPrime = 1
while(primeCount<1000):
currentPrime = currentPrime + 2
primeTester = currentPrime - 1
while(primeTester>1):
primeResult = currentPrime%primeTester
if primeResult == 0:
if primeTester == 1:
primeCount = primeCount + 1
else: primeTester = prim

Answer 1

Might be best to break down the problem.
What criteria do we need to determine prime?
*If 2 then it's prime
*If it's even it's NOT prime
*If it has a divisor it's NOT prime

Let's start with the divisor condition. We can get that with a for: for: loop.
example:
for x in range (2,10):
for i in range (2,x):
print 'x=', x
print 'i=', i
This will take x and run i through range x. In essence x=5, then i range 2,3,4. If x=6, then i range 2,3,4,5.

So now we need our conditionals:
*If 2 then it's prime
if x==2:
*If it has a divisor it's NOT prime
elif x%i==0:
*If it's even it's NOT prime
elif (x/2)*2==x:

If all conditions above are met then print or return it as prime.

Answer 2

If you're still stumped you can look below for a starting point. I left print statements to help. It's important to have break statements when a condition is met (...if we fine that 6 is divisible by 2...we don't need to do 6/3,6/4,6/5).

for x in range (2,10):
for i in range (2,x):
print 'x=', x
print 'i=', i
if x==2:
print 'x is 2'
elif x%i==0:
print x, 'is not prime'
break
elif (x/2)*2==x:
print x, 'is even'
break
else:
print x, 'is prime'

This is just a starting point. Below are some questions to help refine this program.
*Is is necessary to divide by everything up to x?
*How can we set x so it's not limited by range?
*How about a counter?
*Can we simplify this by breaking it up to separate functions?

Answer 3

you need to read the readings and try the examples in the readings - you can't get it all from the lectures