problem solving programming with c

"Hello World!" in C Easy C (Basic) Max Score: 5 Success Rate: 85.66%

Playing with characters easy c (basic) max score: 5 success rate: 84.22%, sum and difference of two numbers easy c (basic) max score: 5 success rate: 94.57%, functions in c easy c (basic) max score: 10 success rate: 95.95%, pointers in c easy c (basic) max score: 10 success rate: 96.54%, conditional statements in c easy c (basic) max score: 10 success rate: 96.94%, for loop in c easy c (basic) max score: 10 success rate: 93.65%, sum of digits of a five digit number easy c (basic) max score: 15 success rate: 98.66%, bitwise operators easy c (basic) max score: 15 success rate: 94.87%, printing pattern using loops medium c (basic) max score: 30 success rate: 95.90%, cookie support is required to access hackerrank.

Seems like cookies are disabled on this browser, please enable them to open this website

Problem Solving Through Programming in C

In this lesson, we are going to learn Problem Solving Through Programming in C. This is the first lesson while we start learning the C language.

So let’s start learning the C language.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Problem Solving Through Programming in C

Regardless of the area of the study, computer science is all about solving problems with computers. The problem that we want to solve can come from any real-world problem or perhaps even from the abstract world. We need to have a standard systematic approach to problem solving through programming in c.

computer programmers are problem solvers. In order to solve a problem on a computer, we must know how to represent the information describing the problem and determine the steps to transform the information from one representation into another.

In this chapter, we will learn problem-solving and steps in problem-solving, basic tools for designing solution as an algorithm, flowchart , pseudo code etc.

A computer is a very powerful and versatile machine capable of performing a multitude of different tasks, yet it has no intelligence or thinking power.

The Computer performs many tasks exactly in the same manner as it is told to do. This places responsibility on the user to instruct the computer in a correct and precise manner so that the machine is able to perform the required job in a proper way. A wrong or ambiguous instruction may sometimes prove dangerous.

The computer cannot solve the problem on its own, one has to provide step by step solutions of the problem to the computer. In fact, the task of problem-solving is not that of the computer.

It is the programmer who has to write down the solution to the problem in terms of simple operations which the computer can understand and execute.

Problem-solving is a sequential process of analyzing information related to a given situation and generating appropriate response options.

In order to solve a problem with the computer, one has to pass through certain stages or steps. They are as follows:

Steps to Solve a Problem With the Computer

Step 1: Understanding the Problem:

Here we try to understand the problem to be solved in totally. Before with the next stage or step, we should be absolutely sure about the objectives of the given problem.

Step 2: Analyzing the Problem:

After understanding thoroughly the problem to be solved, we look at different ways of solving the problem and evaluate each of these methods.

The idea here is to search for an appropriate solution to the problem under consideration. The end result of this stage is a broad overview of the sequence of operations that are to be carried out to solve the given problem.

Step 3: Developing the solution:

Here, the overview of the sequence of operations that was the result of the analysis stage is expanded to form a detailed step by step solution to the problem under consideration.

Step 4: Coding and Implementation:

The last stage of problem-solving is the conversion of the detailed sequence of operations into a language that the computer can understand. Here, each step is converted to its equivalent instruction or instructions in the computer language that has been chosen for the implantation.

The vehicle for the computer solution to a problem is a set of explicit and unambiguous instructions expressed in a programming language. This set of instruction is called a program with problem solving through programming in C .

A program may also be thought of as an algorithm expressed in a programming language. an algorithm, therefore, corresponds to a solution to a problem that is independent of any programming language .

To obtain the computer solution to a problem once we have the program we usually have to supply the program with input or data. The program then takes this input and manipulates it according to its instructions. Eventually produces an output which represents the computer solution to the problem.

The problem solving is a skill and there are no universal approaches one can take to solving problems. Basically one must explore possible avenues to a solution one by one until she/he comes across the right path to a solution.

In general, as one gains experience in solving problems, one develops one’s own techniques and strategies, though they are often intangible. Problem-solving skills are recognized as an integral component of computer programming.

Note: Practice C Programs for problem solving through programming in C.

Problem Solving Steps

Problem-solving is a creative process which defines systematization and mechanization. There are a number of steps that can be taken to raise the level of one’s performance in problem-solving.

A problem-solving technique follows certain steps in finding the solution to a problem. Let us look into the steps one by one:

1. Problem Definition Phase:

The success in solving any problem is possible only after the problem has been fully understood. That is, we cannot hope to solve a problem, which we do not understand. So, the problem understanding is the first step towards the solution of the problem.

In the problem definition phase, we must emphasize what must be done rather than how is it to be done. That is, we try to extract the precisely defined set of tasks from the problem statement.

Inexperienced problem solvers too often gallop ahead with the task of the problem – solving only to find that they are either solving the wrong problem or solving the wrong problem or solving just one particular problem.

2. Getting Started on a Problem:

There are many ways of solving a problem and there may be several solutions. So, it is difficult to recognize immediately which path could be more productive. Problem solving through programming in C.

Sometimes you do not have any idea where to begin solving a problem, even if the problem has been defined. Such block sometimes occurs because you are overly concerned with the details of the implementation even before you have completely understood or worked out a solution.

The best advice is not to get concerned with the details. Those can come later when the intricacies of the problem have been understood.

3. Use of Specific Examples:

To get started on a problem, we can make use of heuristics i.e the rule of thumb. This approach will allow us to start on the problem by picking a specific problem we wish to solve and try to work out the mechanism that will allow solving this particular problem.

It is usually much easier to work out the details of a solution to a specific problem because the relationship between the mechanism and the problem is more clearly defined.

This approach of focusing on a particular problem can give us the foothold we need for making a start on the solution to the general problem.

4. Similarities Among Problems:

One way to make a start is by considering a specific example. Another approach is to bring the experience to bear on the current problems. So, it is important to see if there are any similarities between the current problem and the past problems which we have solved.

The more experience one has the more tools and techniques one can bring to bear in tackling the given problem. But sometimes, it blocks us from discovering a desirable or better solution to the problem.

A skill that is important to try to develop in problem-solving is the ability to view a problem from a variety of angles.

One must be able to metaphorically turn a problem upside down, inside out, sideways, backwards, forwards and so on. Once one has developed this skill it should be possible to get started on any problem.

5. Working Backwards from the Solution:

In some cases, we can assume that we already have the solution to the problem and then try to work backwards to the starting point. Even a guess at the solution to the problem may be enough to give us a foothold to start on the problem.

We can systematize the investigations and avoid duplicate efforts by writing down the various steps taken and explorations made.

Another practice that helps to develop the problem-solving skills, once we have solved a problem, to consciously reflect back on the way we went about discovering the solution.

General Problem Solving Strategies:

There are a number of general and powerful computational strategies that are repeatedly used in various guises in computer science.

Often it is possible to phrase a problem in terms of one of these strategies and achieve considerable gains in computational efficiency.

1. Divide and Conquer:

The most widely known and used strategy, where the basic idea is to break down the original problem into two or more sub-problems, which is presumably easier or more efficient to solve.

The Splitting can be carried on further so that eventually we have many sub-problems, so small that further splitting is no necessary to solve them. We shall see many examples of this strategy and discuss the gain in efficiency due to its application.

2. Binary Doubling:

This is the reverse of the divide and conquers strategy i.e build-up the solution for a larger problem from solutions and smaller sub-problems.

3. Dynamic Programming:

Another general strategy for problem-solving which is useful when we can build-up the solution as a sequence of the intermediate steps. Problem Solving through programming in C.

The travelling salesman problem falls into this category. The idea here is that a good or optimal solution to a problem can be built-up from good or optimal solutions of the sub-problems.

4. General Search, Back Tracking and Branch-and-Bound:

All of these are variants of the basic dynamic programming strategy but are equally important.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Related posts.

What is Preprocessor in C

What is File Handling in C

Structures and Unions in C

C Functions

C structures, c exercises.

You can test your C skills with W3Schools' Exercises.

We have gathered a variety of C exercises (with answers) for each C Chapter.

Try to solve an exercise by editing some code, or show the answer to see what you've done wrong.

Count Your Score

You will get 1 point for each correct answer. Your score and total score will always be displayed.

Start C Exercises

Start C Exercises ❯

If you don't know C, we suggest that you read our C Tutorial from scratch.

COLOR PICKER

Contact Sales

If you want to use W3Schools services as an educational institution, team or enterprise, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Report Error

If you want to report an error, or if you want to make a suggestion, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Basic programming exercises and solutions in C

C programming is a stepping stone for many programmers in the programming world. C is best to learn internals of programming and know how a computer program works internally.

Since it is close to low level programming. Programming in C can be a nightmare for beginners if not practiced properly. However, you can learn and practice at Codeforwin step by step.

In this programming exercise we will focus on basics of C programming. After completing this exercise you will learn basic structure and semantics of a C program and how to write mathematical programs in C.

If you are not a beginner, still reached here. Hold your breath I am sure you will find these exercises interesting.

Always feel free to drop your questions in comments section . I love to hear hugs and bugs from you all.

Required knowledge

Operators , Data types , Variables and expression , Basic input/output

List of basic programming exercises

• Write a C program to perform input/output of all basic data types .
• Write a C program to enter two numbers and find their sum.
• Write a C program to enter two numbers and perform all arithmetic operations.
• Write a C program to enter length and breadth of a rectangle and find its perimeter.
• Write a C program to enter length and breadth of a rectangle and find its area.
• Write a C program to enter radius of a circle and find its diameter, circumference and area.
• Write a C program to enter length in centimeter and convert it into meter and kilometer.
• Write a C program to enter temperature in Celsius and convert it into Fahrenheit.
• Write a C program to enter temperature in Fahrenheit and convert to Celsius
• Write a C program to convert days into years, weeks and days .
• Write a C program to find power of any number x ^ y.
• Write a C program to enter any number and calculate its square root.
• Write a C program to enter two angles of a triangle and find the third angle.
• Write a C program to enter base and height of a triangle and find its area.
• Write a C program to calculate area of an equilateral triangle.
• Write a C program to enter marks of five subjects and calculate total, average and percentage.
• Write a C program to enter P, T, R and calculate Simple Interest.
• Write a C program to enter P, T, R and calculate Compound Interest.

Problem Solving Through Programming In C

• Formulate simple algorithms for arithmetic and logical problems
• Translate the algorithms to programs (in C language)
• Test and execute the programs and  correct syntax and logical errors
• Implement conditional branching, iteration and recursion
• Decompose a problem into functions and synthesize a complete program using divide and conquer approach
• Use arrays, pointers and structures to formulate algorithms and programs
• Apply programming to solve matrix addition and multiplication problems and searching and sorting problems 
• Apply programming to solve simple numerical method problems, namely rot finding of function, differentiation of function and simple integration

Note: This exam date is subjected to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout, books and references, instructor bio.

Prof. Anupam Basu

Course certificate.

• Assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course. 
• ( All assignments in a particular week will be counted towards final scoring - quizzes and programming assignments). 
• Unproctored programming exam score = 25% of the average scores obtained as part of Unproctored programming exam - out of 100
• Proctored Exam score =50% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

DOWNLOAD APP

SWAYAM SUPPORT

Please choose the SWAYAM National Coordinator for support. * :

01. PLAY WITH PRINTF()

02. data type & variables, 03. user input scanf(), 04. apply your conditions, 05. magic of loop, 06. uses of array, 07. fun of function, 08. start with string, 09. pointer de complexity, 10. structur of union, 11. basic of file i/o, 12. math & coding.

• Data Structure
• Coding Problems
• C Interview Programs
• C++ Aptitude
• Java Aptitude
• C# Aptitude
• PHP Aptitude
• Linux Aptitude
• DBMS Aptitude
• Networking Aptitude
• AI Aptitude
• MIS Executive
• Web Technologie MCQs
• CS Subjects MCQs
• Databases MCQs
• Programming MCQs
• Testing Software MCQs
• Digital Mktg Subjects MCQs
• Cloud Computing S/W MCQs
• Engineering Subjects MCQs
• Commerce MCQs
• More MCQs...
• Machine Learning/AI
• Operating System
• Computer Network
• Software Engineering
• Discrete Mathematics
• Digital Electronics
• Data Mining
• Embedded Systems
• Cryptography
• CS Fundamental
• More Tutorials...
• Tech Articles
• Code Examples
• Programmer's Calculator
• XML Sitemap Generator
• Tools & Generators

Home » C programming language

C Programs with Solutions

This section contains popular C programs with solution. Learn and practice these programs to test and enhance your C skills. Last updated : April 01, 2023

The best way to learn C programming is by practicing and solving the C programs (C problems). We have 1000+ C programs with solutions which are categorized below. Practice these C programs to learn and enhance your C problem-solving skills.

List of C programs

Practice the C programs based on the categories, library functions, advanced, top searched, and latest.

C programs by categories

• C Basic and Conditional Programs 90
• C switch case programs 06
• C 'goto' programs 10
• Bitwise related Programs 32
• Looping (for, while, do while) Programs 18
• C String Manipulation programs 10
• C String programs 50
• String User Define Functions Programs 11
• Recursion Programs 13
• Number (Digits Manipulation) Programs 10
• Number System Conversion Programs 15
• Star/Pyramid Programs 17
• Sum of Series Programs (set 1) 05
• Sum of Series Programs (set 2) 13
• Pattern printing programs 01
• User Define Function Programs (1) 05
• User Define Function Programs (2) 13
• One Dimensional Array Programs 58
• Two Dimensional Array (Matrix) Programs 21
• File Handling Programs 32
• Structure & Union Programs 12
• Pointer Programs 13
• Dynamic Memory Allocation Programs 05
• Command Line Arguments Programs 06
• Common C program Errors 22
• C scanf() programs 11
• C preprocessor programs 24
• C typedef programs 03
• C SQLite programs 11
• C MySQL programs 09
• Misc Problems & Solutions 05

C programs on standard library functions

• ctype.h Library Functions (Set 1)
• ctype.h Library Functions (Set 2)
• string.h Library Functions
• conio.h Library Functions
• dos.h Library Functions
• math.h Library Functions
• graphics.h Library Functions
• assert.h Library Functions
• stdio.h Library Functions

Advance C programs

• C program to create your own header file/ Create your your own header file in C
• gotoxy(),clrscr(),getch(),getche() for GCC, Linux.
• fork() function explanation and examples in Linux C
• C program to print character without using format specifiers.
• C program to find Binary Addition and Binary Subtraction.
• C program to print weekday of given date.
• C program to format/extract ip address octets
• C program to check given string is a valid IPv4 address or not.
• C program to extract bytes from an integer (Hexadecimal) value
• C program to store date in an integer variable

Top searched C programs

Here is the list of most important/useful programs searched on the web .

Top visited programs on IncludeHelp

• Pattern Programs in C
• C program to design calculator with basic operations using switch
• C program to find factorial of a number
• C program to check whether number is Perfect Square or not
• C program to find SUM and AVERAGE of two numbers
• C program to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius and Celsius to Fahrenheit
• C program to read and print an employee's detail using structure
• Dynamic Memory Allocation programs
• C program to convert number from Decimal to Binary
• C program to check whether number is Palindrome or not

Top searched programs on the web

• First C program to print "Hello World".
• C program to find factorial of a number.
• C program to swap two numbers without using third variable.
• C program to check whether a number if Armstrong or not.
• C program to check whether a number if Even or Odd.
• C program to print all leap years from 1 to N.
• C program to calculate employee gross salary.
• C Program to print tables of numbers from 1 to 20.
• C program to print star/pyramid series.
• C program to convert temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa.
• C program to convert number from Decimal to Binary.
• C program to convert number from Binary to Decimal.
• C program to print ASCII Table.
• C program to get and set current system date and time.
• C program to run dos command.

Latest C programs

• C program to generate random numbers within a range
• C program to compare strings using strcmp() function
• Interchange the two adjacent nodes in a given circular linked list | C program
• Find the largest element in a doubly linked list | C program
• Convert a given singly linked list to a circular list | C program
• Implement Circular Doubly Linked List | C program
• Print the Alternate Nodes in a Linked List without using Recursion
• Print the Alternate Nodes in a Linked List using Recursion
• Find the length of a linked list without using recursion
• Find the length of a linked list using recursion
• Count the number of occurrences of an element in a linked list without using recursion
• Count the number of occurrences of an element in a linked list using recursion
• C program to convert a Binary Tree into a Singly Linked List by Traversing Level by Level
• C program to Check if nth Bit in a 32-bit Integer is set or not
• C program to swap two Integers using Bitwise Operators
• C program to replace bit in an integer at a specified position from another integer
• C program to find odd or even number using bitmasking
• C program to check whether a given number is palindrome or not using Bitwise Operator
• C program to count number of bits set to 1 in an Integer
• C program to check if all the bits of a given integer is one (1)
• C program to find the Highest Bit Set for any given Integer
• C program to Count the Number of Trailing Zeroes in an Integer
• C Program to find the Biggest Number in an Array of Numbers using Recursion
• C program to accept Sorted Array and do Search using Binary Search
• C Program to Cyclically Permute the Elements of an Array
• C program to find two smallest elements in a one dimensional array
• Write your own memset() function in C
• memset() function in C with Example
• Write your own memcpy() function in C
• memcpy() function in C with Example

Comments and Discussions!

Load comments ↻

• Marketing MCQs
• Blockchain MCQs
• Artificial Intelligence MCQs
• Data Analytics & Visualization MCQs
• Python MCQs
• C++ Programs
• Python Programs
• Java Programs
• D.S. Programs
• Golang Programs
• C# Programs
• JavaScript Examples
• jQuery Examples
• CSS Examples
• C++ Tutorial
• Python Tutorial
• ML/AI Tutorial
• MIS Tutorial
• Software Engineering Tutorial
• Scala Tutorial
• Privacy policy
• Certificates
• Content Writers of the Month

Copyright © 2024 www.includehelp.com. All rights reserved.

How to Solve Coding Problems with a Simple Four Step Method

I had fifteen minutes left, and I knew I was going to fail.

I had spent two months studying for my first technical interview.

I thought I was prepared, but as the interview came to a close, it hit me: I had no idea how to solve coding problems.

Of all the tutorials I had taken when I was learning to code, not one of them had included an approach to solving coding problems.

I had to find a method for problem-solving—my career as a developer depended on it.

I immediately began researching methods. And I found one. In fact, what I uncovered was an invaluable strategy. It was a time-tested four-step method that was somehow under the radar in the developer ecosystem.

In this article, I’ll go over this four-step problem-solving method that you can use to start confidently solving coding problems.

Solving coding problems is not only part of the developer job interview process—it’s what a developer does all day. After all, writing code is problem-solving.

A method for solving problems

This method is from the book How to Solve It by George Pólya. It originally came out in 1945 and has sold over one million copies.

His problem-solving method has been used and taught by many programmers, from computer science professors (see Udacity’s Intro to CS course taught by professor David Evans) to modern web development teachers like Colt Steele.

Let’s walk through solving a simple coding problem using the four-step problem-solving method. This allows us to see the method in action as we learn it. We'll use JavaScript as our language of choice. Here’s the problem:

Create a function that adds together two numbers and returns that value. There are four steps to the problem-solving method:

• Understand the problem.
• Devise a plan.
• Carry out the plan.

Let’s get started with step one.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

When given a coding problem in an interview, it’s tempting to rush into coding. This is hard to avoid, especially if you have a time limit.

However, try to resist this urge. Make sure you actually understand the problem before you get started with solving it.

Read through the problem. If you’re in an interview, you could read through the problem out loud if that helps you slow down.

As you read through the problem, clarify any part of it you do not understand. If you’re in an interview, you can do this by asking your interviewer questions about the problem description. If you’re on your own, think through and/or Google parts of the question you might not understand.

This first step is vital as we often don’t take the time to fully understand the problem. When you don’t fully understand the problem, you’ll have a much harder time solving it.

To help you better understand the problem, ask yourself:

What are the inputs?

What kinds of inputs will go into this problem? In this example, the inputs are the arguments that our function will take.

Just from reading the problem description so far, we know that the inputs will be numbers. But to be more specific about what the inputs will be, we can ask:

Will the inputs always be just two numbers? What should happen if our function receives as input three numbers?

Here we could ask the interviewer for clarification, or look at the problem description further.

The coding problem might have a note saying, “You should only ever expect two inputs into the function.” If so, you know how to proceed. You can get more specific, as you’ll likely realize that you need to ask more questions on what kinds of inputs you might be receiving.

Will the inputs always be numbers? What should our function do if we receive the inputs “a” and “b”? Clarify whether or not our function will always take in numbers.

Optionally, you could write down possible inputs in a code comment to get a sense of what they’ll look like:

//inputs: 2, 4

What are the outputs?

What will this function return? In this case, the output will be one number that is the result of the two number inputs. Make sure you understand what your outputs will be.

Create some examples.

Once you have a grasp of the problem and know the possible inputs and outputs, you can start working on some concrete examples.

Examples can also be used as sanity checks to test your eventual problem. Most code challenge editors that you’ll work in (whether it’s in an interview or just using a site like Codewars or HackerRank) have examples or test cases already written for you. Even so, writing out your own examples can help you cement your understanding of the problem.

Start with a simple example or two of possible inputs and outputs. Let's return to our addition function.

Let’s call our function “add.”

What’s an example input? Example input might be:

// add(2, 3)

What is the output to this? To write the example output, we can write:

// add(2, 3) ---> 5

This indicates that our function will take in an input of 2 and 3 and return 5 as its output.

Create complex examples.

By walking through more complex examples, you can take the time to look for edge cases you might need to account for.

For example, what should we do if our inputs are strings instead of numbers? What if we have as input two strings, for example, add('a', 'b')?

Your interviewer might possibly tell you to return an error message if there are any inputs that are not numbers. If so, you can add a code comment to handle this case if it helps you remember you need to do this.

Your interviewer might also tell you to assume that your inputs will always be numbers, in which case you don’t need to write any extra code to handle this particular input edge case.

If you don’t have an interviewer and you’re just solving this problem, the problem might say what happens when you enter invalid inputs.

For example, some problems will say, “If there are zero inputs, return undefined.” For cases like this, you can optionally write a comment.

// check if there are no inputs.

// If no inputs, return undefined.

For our purposes, we’ll assume that our inputs will always be numbers. But generally, it’s good to think about edge cases.

Computer science professor Evans says to write what developers call defensive code. Think about what could go wrong and how your code could defend against possible errors.  

Before we move on to step 2, let’s summarize step 1, understand the problem:

-Read through the problem.

-What are the inputs?

-What are the outputs?

Create simple examples, then create more complex ones.

2. Devise a plan for solving the problem.

Next, devise a plan for how you’ll solve the problem. As you devise a plan, write it out in pseudocode.

Pseudocode is a plain language description of the steps in an algorithm. In other words, your pseudocode is your step-by-step plan for how to solve the problem.

Write out the steps you need to take to solve the problem. For a more complicated problem, you’d have more steps. For this problem, you could write:

// Create a sum variable.

Add the first input to the second input using the addition operator .

// Store value of both inputs into sum variable.

// Return as output the sum variable. Now you have your step-by-step plan to solve the problem. For more complex problems, professor Evans notes, “Consider systematically how a human solves the problem.” That is, forget about how your code might solve the problem for a moment, and think about how you would solve it as a human. This can help you see the steps more clearly.

3. Carry out the plan (Solve the problem!)

The next step in the problem-solving strategy is to solve the problem. Using your pseudocode as your guide, write out your actual code.

Professor Evans suggests focusing on a simple, mechanical solution. The easier and simpler your solution is, the more likely you can program it correctly.

Taking our pseudocode, we could now write this:

Professor Evans adds, remember not to prematurely optimize. That is, you might be tempted to start saying, “Wait, I’m doing this and it’s going to be inefficient code!”

First, just get out your simple, mechanical solution.

What if you can’t solve the entire problem? What if there's a part of it you still don't know how to solve?

Colt Steele gives great advice here: If you can’t solve part of the problem, ignore that hard part that’s tripping you up. Instead, focus on everything else that you can start writing.

Temporarily ignore that difficult part of the problem you don’t quite understand and write out the other parts. Once this is done, come back to the harder part.

This allows you to get at least some of the problem finished. And often, you’ll realize how to tackle that harder part of the problem once you come back to it.

Step 4: Look back over what you've done.

Once your solution is working, take the time to reflect on it and figure out how to make improvements. This might be the time you refactor your solution into a more efficient one.

As you look at your work, here are some questions Colt Steele suggests you ask yourself to figure out how you can improve your solution:

• Can you derive the result differently? What other approaches are there that are viable?
• Can you understand it at a glance? Does it make sense?
• Can you use the result or method for some other problem?
• Can you improve the performance of your solution?
• Can you think of other ways to refactor?
• How have other people solved this problem?

One way we might refactor our problem to make our code more concise: removing our variable and using an implicit return:

With step 4, your problem might never feel finished. Even great developers still write code that they later look at and want to change. These are guiding questions that can help you.

If you still have time in an interview, you can go through this step and make your solution better. If you are coding on your own, take the time to go over these steps.

When I’m practicing coding on my own, I almost always look at the solutions out there that are more elegant or effective than what I’ve come up with.

Wrapping Up

In this post, we’ve gone over the four-step problem-solving strategy for solving coding problems.

Let's review them here:

• Step 1: understand the problem.
• Step 2: create a step-by-step plan for how you’ll solve it .
• Step 3: carry out the plan and write the actual code.
• Step 4: look back and possibly refactor your solution if it could be better.

Practicing this problem-solving method has immensely helped me in my technical interviews and in my job as a developer. If you don't feel confident when it comes to solving coding problems, just remember that problem-solving is a skill that anyone can get better at with time and practice.

If you enjoyed this post, join my coding club , where we tackle coding challenges together every Sunday and support each other as we learn new technologies.

If you have feedback or questions on this post, feel free to tweet me @madisonkanna ..

Read more posts .

If you read this far, thank the author to show them you care. Say Thanks

Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp's open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started

C Solved programs, problems with solutions – C programming

C solved programs, problems with solutions.

C Solved programs —->  C is a powerful general-purpose programming language. It is fast, portable and available in all platforms. If you are new to programming, C is a good choice to start your programming journey.

This page contains the C solved programs/examples with solutions, here we are providing most important programs on each topic . These C examples cover a wide range of programming areas in Computer Science.

Every example program includes the description of the program, C code as well as output of the program. All examples are compiled and tested on a Windows system.

These examples can be as simple and basic as “Hello World” program to extremely tough and advanced C programs. Here is the List of C solved programs/examples with solutions (category wise) and detailed explanation.

C Solved Programs by categories…….

If you found any error or any queries related to the above programs or any questions or reviews , you wanna to ask from us ,you may Contact Us through our contact Page or you can also comment below in the comment section.We will try our best to reach up to you in short interval.

Thanks for reading the post….

No related posts.

(using file handling) Enter Country Name (Inida): india 5 states() Enter Name of State : Rajasthan Enter Name of capital : jaipur show the menu of jaipur city: 1. check college in city : 2. check school Name: Enter choice : 1 show list of all college in jaipur city(10): college Name address contact no Enter choice : 2 show list of all school in jaipur city(10): school Name address contact no

Write a program that reads a list of integers until a stopping condition is met and then print each test score together with Pass, if the score is greater than or equal to 60, and Fail otherwise.

worst website

Write a C program to find the sum of contiguous sub array within an array which has the smallest sum. Also print where in the array the smallest sum occurred. For example, given the array [4, -1, 2, -3, 1, -2, 7, -5, 4], the contiguous sub-array [1, -3, -2] has the smallest sum of -4 and it occurred in [0:6]. To understand contiguous sub array, given the array [1, 2, 3] the contiguous sub arrays are [1], [2], [3], [1, 2], [2, 3], [1, 2, 3], but [1, 3] is not a contiguous sub array. Sample Input Sample Output

Consider an Auto spares store which has different categories of items like. Under each category, the shop holds a maximum capacity of 1000 items. The arrangement of items in the racks vary from time to time. Based on the item type and availability, the supplier also varies. Each supplier can supply different items. The system in the shopping mall has the complete description of list of all items which includes item number, name, category, supplier name, price, total quantity and qty available. Based on the items purchased by the customer, billing is done. From the above description, initially the owner …  Read more »

#include <stdio.h>

int   main () {   int    i ;   float   avg = 0 ,  sum = 0  , a [ 10 ];  

  printf ( “Enter 10 numbers” );   for  ( i = 0 ;  i <= 9 ;  i ++)   scanf ( “ %d “ , & a [ i ]);

  for  ( i = 0 ;  i <= 9 ;  i ++); {   sum = sum + a [ i ];   avg =  sum / 10.0 ; }   printf ( “average is  %f “ ,  avg );

return   0 ; }

the output averge is 0.00000 please help i’m beginer in c programming using visual studio code

Try with this code ..

#include<stdio.h>

int main() {  int a[20],i ,n ;  float avg=0 , sum=0 ;

 printf(“Enter no of elements in array :\n “);  scanf(“%d”, &n);  printf(“\n Enter the array of element : \n”);

 for (i=1; i<=n; i++)  {    scanf(“%d”,&a[i]);  }   for (i=1; i<=n; i++)   {     sum=sum+a[i];     avg= sum/n;   }

 printf(“\n sum of elements :%f”,sum);  printf(“\n average is %f”, avg);

return 0; }

#include <stdio.h> int main(){ /*Short and Sweet Code, Working code Please check inverted commas while running this code.*/

  int value[10];   float Sum, Average;   for(int i=0; i<=9; i++){   printf(“Enter %d number: \n”, i+1);   scanf(“%d”, &value[i]);   }

  for(int i=0; i<=9; i++){

    Sum += value[i];      } Average = Sum/10;

printf(“Average of these 10 numbers is %f”, Average);     return 0; }

#include<stdio.h> int main() { /*You have made 2 mistakes in this program.*/  int  i;  float avg=0, sum=0 ,a[10];    printf(“Enter 10 numbers”);  for (i=0; i<=9; i++)  scanf(“ %d “, &a[i]); /*ERROR 1: %d should be replaced with %f in your program because you declared a[10] as a float so you cannot use %d.*/

 for (i=0; i<=9; i++) ; /*ERROR 2: In this Loop Remove this semicolon after the brackets.*/ {  sum=sum+a[i];  avg= sum/10.0; }  printf(“average is %f“, avg);

/*After Doing this correction your program will run without giving error OR zero.*/

return 0; }

Plz Solve this Programe

ভাই পেয়েছেন

Interest is compounded annually at 10% by a certain bank. Make a program that would input an amount and a number of years (the program should test that both are positive) and output how much the original amount will be worth after that period.  

It’s really a wonderful website💥

The Business organization has a problem that they encounter. They received complains about the orders they have that are inaccurate mostly in selection of orders, prices, and quantity of the products. They want to have system update as soon as possible to fix this problem and asking for a refund. Every order must be confirmed to avoid any conflicts of transaction. Also the discounts are not applied when the order are wholesales which is needed to be fix when being total. Certain products are discounted either from a voucher or a wholesale that is minimum of five products. The deduction of …  Read more »

To check whether the candidate is eligible for vote or not

(A) Create a C structure, volume with fields: liter and mililiter. Read the value of two volumes and add them, if the value of mililiter is more than 1000 then add it to liter value.

Write a c program for There are 20 workers working in a field. the owner of Field gives them 20 rupees. In that 20 rupees each man get 4 rupees each woman get 50 paise and each child get 25 paise. Then how many are men, women, children in that 20 workers?

A vending machine questions

1. Write a C program to print all odd numbers between 2 values ‘n’ and ‘m’. Read the values ‘n’ and ‘m’ from the user and print all the odd numbers in this range (inclusive range, i.e if ‘n’ or ‘m’ is odd, print those as well).

write a programming using for loop to print all the numbers from them as even m to n there by case classifying them as even or odd

Problem Solving with Computer

By Bipin Tiwari

Problem Solving is a scientific technique to discover and implement the answer to a problem. The computer is the symbol manipulating device that follows the set of commands known as program.

Program is the set of instructions which is run by the computer to perform specific task. The task of developing program is called programming.

Problem Solving Technique:

Sometimes it is not sufficient just to cope with problems. We have to solve that problems. Most people are involving to solve the problem. These problem are occur while performing small task or making small decision. So, Here are the some basic steps to solve the problems

Step 1: Identify and Define Problem

Explain you problem clearly as possible as you can.

Step 2: Generate Possible Solutions

• List out all the solution that you find. Don’t focus on the quality of the solution
• Generate the maximum number of solution as you can without considering the quality of the solution

Step 3: Evaluate Alternatives

After generating the maximum solution, Remove the undesired solutions.

Step 4: Decide a Solution

After filtering all the solution, you have the best solution only. Then choose on of the best solution and make a decision to make it as a perfect solution.

Step 5: Implement a Solution:

After getting the best solution, Implement that solution to solve a problem.

Step 6: Evaluate the result

After implementing a best solution, Evaluate how much you solution solve the problem. If your solution will not solve the problem then you can again start with Step 2 .

Algorithm is the set of rules that define how particular problem can be solved in finite number of steps. Any good algorithm must have following characteristics

• Input: Specify and require input
• Output:  Solution of any problem
• Definite:  Solution must be clearly defined
• Finite: Steps must be finite
• Correct:  Correct output must be generated

Advantages of Algorithms:

• It is the way to sole a problem step-wise so it is easy to understand.
• It uses definite procedure.
• It is not dependent with any programming language.
• Each step has it own meaning so it is easy to debug

Disadvantage of Algorithms:

• It is time consuming
• Difficult to show branching and looping statement
• Large problems are difficult to implement

The solution of any problem in picture form is called flowchart. It is the one of the most important technique to depict an algorithm.

Advantage of Flowchart:

• Easier to understand
• Helps to understand logic of problem
• Easy to draw flowchart in any software like MS-Word
• Complex problem can be represent using less symbols
• It is the way to documenting any problem
• Helps in debugging process

Disadvantage of Flowchart:

• For any change, Flowchart have to redrawn
• Showing many looping and branching become complex
• Modification of flowchart is time consuming

Symbol Used in Flowchart:

Example: Algorithm and Flowchart to check odd or even

Coding, Compiling and Execution

Question's answer.

Share this link via

Or copy link

Copyright 2022 | HAMROCSIT.COM | All Right Reserved

• Trending Blogs
• Geeksforgeeks NEWS
• Geeksforgeeks Blogs
• Tips & Tricks
• Website & Apps
• ChatGPT Blogs
• ChatGPT News
• ChatGPT Tutorial
• How will AI Impact the Future of Work and Life?
• 20 Best Artificial Intelligence Movies You Must Watch (2023)
• Sparse Rewards in Reinforcement Learning
• Resolution Theorem Proving
• Understanding Reinforcement Learning in-depth
• Propositional Logic based Agent
• Optimal Decision Making in Multiplayer Games
• Types of Reasoning in Artificial Intelligence
• 10 Most Demanded Job Roles in Artificial Intelligence
• Top 10 Industries using Virtual Reality
• Face recognition using Artificial Intelligence
• Top Challenges for Artificial Intelligence in 2020
• Advantages and Disadvantage of Artificial Intelligence
• Game Theory in AI
• What is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)?
• Difference between Chatbot and Virtual Assistant
• Difference between Artificial Intelligence and Automation
• The State of Artificial Intelligence in India and How Far is Too Far?
• 6 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Change Education in the 2020s

The 7 Best AI Tools for Programmers to Streamline Development in 2024

If you are a developer focused on efficiency and productivity, you should use AI tools that simplify your job. The AI Tools for Programmers give you the edge you need to win in the coding world. These tools will automate many recurring tasks and boost the code quality. Using these tools, you can help businesses cut expenses and provide workable code.

With numerous AI Tools for Programmers making rounds online, finding the best ones to revolutionize or streamline the development process is complex. No matter whether you are a professional programmer or a new one, we have listed the seven best AI Tools for Programmers.

Top 7 AI Tools for Programmers

2. github copilot, 6. mintlify, 6. alphacode, 7. code by sourcegraph, what to look for in ai tools for programmers, what is the best tool of all ai tools for programmers, faqs – ai tools for programmers.

Following are top 7 AI tools for programmers to streamline development

Tabnine is one of the best AI tools for programmers, and it helps developers boost productivity by automatically extracting the code and introducing workflow efficiency. The tab nine tool will predict the following line of code based on the provided syntax and context.

• Offer you a complete list of suggestions related to functions.
• Works on laptops, servers, desktops, and cloud.
• Support different languages such as Python, Go, Rust, and TypeScript.
• Complete all the code lines with just a single stroke.
• Easy to integrate with popular code editors such as Visual Studio code, eclipse, Android Studio, and IntelliJ.
• Developers will be able to train the data to receive tailored suggestions. Programmers can easily connect to the code repositories like GitHub or Bitbucket.
• Performance is not expected in some programming languages or frameworks with complicated syntax.
• When AI runs on local hardware, it consumes many resources over the cloud.
• Pro – free for 90 days- $12/month
• Enterprise: $39/month

Link: https://www.tabnine.com/

Github Copilot will automatically generate the code made by Github and OpenAI. It is one of the most powerful AI tools for programmers trained with billions of code lines to translate natural language requests and generate code recommendations in various languages.

• Offer extensions to IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and Visual Studio.
• Suggest the code and complete functions while you are coding.
• Offer you with auto-complete suggestions in no time.
• Identify the errors in the code and fix the bugs briskly.
• Support multiple programming languages like Javascript, C++, Python, and Go.
• Support real-time collaboration with other developers to communicate easily about the project.
• Sometimes, these AI Tools for Programmers will suggest efficient and correct code.
• Code correction will need human corrections.
• Team: $3.67/month
• Enterprise: $19.25/month

Link: https://github.com/features/copilot

AskCodi is one of the best AI tools for programmers and is designed to improve the coding experience. The clear-cut translate app will convert natural language into programming languages like Ruby, Python, C++, Java, and PHP.

• It supports a lot of IDE extensions, such as VScode and Pycharm.
• It offers a lot of code snippets in different languages, such as English, German, and Polish.
• It is easy to share the code snippets with others.
• Analyze the code to fix bugs and improve the code performance and security.
• Support many programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, C++, Java, and Ruby
• Use NLP-powered AI capabilities to answer questions related to the software development projects and offer suggestions.
• New users complain about the learning curve.
• The response time for providing the code would be late.
• Ultimate: $24.99/month
• Premium:$8.33/month

Link : https://www.askcodi.com/

Scribe is one of the best AI tools for programmers for software development , and it will use AI to create, debug, and control the whole process document. Its rich user interface lets developers record the workflow and procedures in real-time, develop guides and tutorials, and visualize data to comprehend better.

• It is easy to customize the text, steps, and images.
• Access the tool through the Chrome extension and desktop application.
• Come with robust enterprise-level security and a lot of controls
• It integrates with many tools, such as IDEs or AI tools for developers.
• Programmers can record the workflows and procedures.
• Create comprehensive manuals that will be a valuable resource for developers and others.
• Does not support many AI integrations
• Errors will occasionally be encountered while using this tool.
• Pro personal:$23/month
• Pro team: $12/month
• Enterprise: Custom

Link : https://scribehow.com/

Mintlify will use AI to generate code and play a key role in saving developers time dealing with technical tasks. Using this one of the AI tools for programmers, you can search for the code for the document already in place and generate this document to explain each line of code.

• Automated documentation features will let developers create documents that are easier to search efficiently.
• Developers can improve the documentation by making this document readable.
• It is easy for developers to track documentation patterns and improve accessibility.
• Integrate with Github to sync the documents and code repositories.
• These AI Tools for Programmers support many programming languages to generate the code in the language you want.
• Comprehend the code context with this tool accurately.
• It does not generate the document for all the files in one go.
• It could have added a lot of programming languages to generate the code in those languages.
• Startup: $120/month
• Growth: $400/month

Link : https://mintlify.com/

Alpha code will auto-generate code for the natural language problems you stated in your own words. It is one of the AI tools for programmers that is best for development as it helps solve many problems that involve logic, reasoning, algorithms, and coding.

• Transformer-based language models will be used to generate code using this one of the best tools for developers.
• It helps to correct the errors in the code.
• It is trained on the GitHub datasets to complete programming tasks.
• Generate the code in various programming languages like C++, Python, Haskell, and Java.
• Organize the samples into different clusters to create custom test cases.
• Available for free to use on GitHub.
• Many times, the tool will offer you free code snippets.
• Needs to handle issues related to tags and ratings efficiently.

Pricing: Free

Link : https://alphacode.ai/en/

Code by Sourcegraph is one of the best AI tools for programmers to help developers debug and automate the code. The AI chatbot will thoroughly analyze the code base and offer you accurate answers to queries.

• These AI Tools for Programmers supports programming languages like Javascript, Typescript, Python, and Go.
• It detects and helps you resolve the bugs in the code.
• Generate code snippets and generate functions based on the commands.
• Allow developers to access context-based predictions, reducing the time it takes to write code.
• Debug the code and will answer the queries in no time.
• Generate accurate code snippets by providing appropriate instructions.
• The UX of the tool could have been improved for a better user experience.
• Support from other languages would help the developers generate code for different languages.
• Pro: $9/month
• Enterprise: $19/month

Link: https://sourcegraph.com/

The following are the features you should look for while buying AI tools for developer s:

1. Completion of Code

It would help if you looked for tools that offer code suggestions and auto-complete the rest of the code to expedite the development process and keep errors at bay.

2. Review Coding Capabilities

You must access the tool and look for the one to review and analyze the code for its quality, style, and critical issues.

3. Security Features

Ensure you use the tool with security features to safeguard the data and code from users accessing it unauthorizedly.

4. Suggest Functions

You can look for tools that will suggest functions and methods, optimize the code quality, and boost its efficiency.

5. Perform Unit Testing

You need to check whether the tool supports automated code and unit testing to improve the software quality.

6. Different Integration Options

It would help if you looked for a tool to integrate with third-party programs and apps for development.

7. Support Multiple Programming Languages

Look for a tool that supports programming languages you work with and can understand natural language to generate the code based on it.

Out of all the AI tools for programmers, Github Copilot is the best one since it has an artificial intelligence engine that is ideal for coders and developers to generate code snippets in no time just by providing natural prompts. It is also compatible to use with different IDEs. This best developer companion lets you give the prompt to generate the code strings. It also offers different recommendations based on the project context and style conventions.

AI tools for programmers are a breakthrough in the technology world. With many AI tools for development available in the market, developers are using them to boost the coding experience and complete coding tasks briskly. However, the tools available will only give a helping hand but are only a partial replacement for the job of a developer. As the coding world evolves, these AI tools for programmers are crucial in generating efficient code that executes flawlessly.

Can beginners use AI tools for development?

Yes, the AI development tools are for beginners, too, since every line of code generated by this tool comes with explanations for developers to understand thoroughly.

Will AI tools replace human developers?

AI tools for developers will only replace human developers if human intelligence is required to write the code and humans have better problem-solving skills than those tools.

Are the AI tools for development highly secure to use?

Yes, the AI coding tools available are highly secure for developers to use responsibly. However, it is recommended that sensitive data and information be kept private from the tool despite meeting security standards.

How will AI coding tools promote collaboration between developers?

The generative AI tools for developers will promote better collaboration by offering real-time suggestions and letting multiple developers work on the same code simultaneously.

Can I use AI tools for development to build applications without any prior coding knowledge?

Yes, everyone can generate code snippets and build apps. These tools will also help people with no coding knowledge to produce software. It uses machine learning techniques to generate code based on the user-specified functionality.

Please Login to comment...

Similar reads.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Trending News
• How to Organize Your Digital Files with Cloud Storage and Automation
• 10 Best Blender Alternatives for 3D Modeling in 2024
• How to Transfer Photos From iPhone to iPhone
• What are Tiktok AI Avatars?
• 30 OOPs Interview Questions and Answers (2024)

Improve your Coding Skills with Practice

What kind of Experience do you want to share?

• Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?

The environmental protection agency says “forever chemicals” must be removed from tap water. but they lurk in much more of what we eat, drink and use..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. And this is “The Daily.”

[THEME MUSIC]

This month for the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency began to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals, known as forever chemicals, in America’s drinking water. But the chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, are in far more than just our water supply. Today, my colleague Kim Tingley explains.

It’s Wednesday, April 17.

So Kim, any time the EPA announces a regulation, I think we all sort of take notice because implicit in it is this idea that we have been exposed to something — something bad, potentially, lead or asbestos. And recently, the EPA is regulating a type of chemical known as PFAS So for those who don’t know, what are PFAS chemicals

Yeah, so PFAS stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They’re often called forever chemicals just because they persist so long in the environment and they don’t easily break down. And for that reason, we also use them in a ton of consumer products. They’re in makeup. They’re in carpet. They’re in nonstick cookware. They’re in food packaging, all sorts of things.

Yeah, I feel like I’ve been hearing about these chemicals actually for a very long time. I mean, nonstick pans, Teflon — that’s the thing that’s in my mind when I think PFAS.

Absolutely. Yeah, this class of chemicals has been around for decades. And what’s really important about this is that the EPA has decided, for the first time, to regulate them in drinking water. And that’s a ruling that stands to affect tens of millions of people.

So, help me understand where these things came from and how it’s taken so long to get to the point where we’re actually regulating them.

So, they really actually came about a long time ago. In 1938, DuPont, the people who eventually got us to Teflon, they were actually looking for a more stable kind of refrigerant. And they came upon this kind of chemical, PFAS. The thing that all PFAS chemicals have is a really strong bond between carbon atoms and fluorine atoms. This particular pairing is super strong and super durable.

They have water repellent properties. They’re stain resistant. They’re grease resistant. And they found a lot of uses for them initially in World War II. They were using them as part of their uranium enrichment process to do all these kinds of things. And then —

Well, good thing it’s Teflon.

In the 1950s is when they really started to come out as commercial products.

Even burned food won’t stick to Teflon. So it’s always easy to clean.

So, DuPont started using it in Teflon pans.

Cookware never needs scouring if it has DuPont Teflon.

And then another company, 3M also started using a kind of PFAS —

Scotchgard fabric protector. It keeps ordinary spills from becoming extraordinary stains.

— in one of their big products, Scotchgard. So you probably remember spraying that on your shoes if you want to make your shoes waterproof.

Use Scotchgard fabric protector and let your cup runneth over.

Right — miracle product, Scotchgard, Teflon. But of course, we’re talking about these chemicals because they’ve been found to pose health threats. When does that risk start to surface?

Yeah, so it’s pretty early on that DuPont and 3M start finding effects in animals in studies that they’re running in house.

Around the mid ‘60s, they start seeing that PFAS has an effect on rats. It’s increasing the liver and kidney weights of the rats. And so that seems problematic. And they keep running tests over the next decade and a half. And they try different things with different animals.

In one study, they gave monkeys really, really high levels of PFAS. And those monkeys died. And so they have a pretty strong sense that these chemicals could be dangerous. And then in 1979, they start to see that the workers that are in the plants manufacturing, working with these chemicals, that they’re starting to have higher rates of abnormal liver function. And in a Teflon plant, they had some pregnant workers that were working with these chemicals. And one of those workers in 1981 gave birth to a child who had some pretty severe birth defects.

And then by the mid 1980s, DuPont figures out that it’s not just their workers who are being exposed to these chemicals, but communities that are living in areas surrounding their Teflon plant, particularly the one in Parkersburg, West Virginia, that those communities have PFAS in their tap water.

Wow, so based on its own studies, DuPont knows its chemicals are making animals sick. They seem to be making workers sick. And now they found out that the chemicals have made their way into the water supply. What do they do with that information?

As far as we know, they didn’t do much. They certainly didn’t tell the residents of Parkersburg who were drinking that water that there was anything that they needed to be worried about.

How is that possible? I mean, setting aside the fact that DuPont is the one actually studying the health effects of its own chemicals, presumably to make sure they’re safe, we’ve seen these big, regulating agencies like the EPA and the FDA that exist in order to watch out for something exactly like this, a company that is producing something that may be harming Americans. Why weren’t they keeping a closer watch?

Yeah, so it goes kind of back to the way that we regulate chemicals in the US. It goes through an act called the Toxic Substances Control Act that’s administered by the EPA. And basically, it gives companies a lot of room to regulate themselves, in a sense. Under this act they have a responsibility to report to the EPA if they find these kinds of potential issues with a chemical. They have a responsibility to do their due diligence when they’re putting a chemical out into the environment.

But there’s really not a ton of oversight. The enforcement mechanism is that the EPA can find them. But this kind of thing can happen pretty easily where DuPont keeps going with something that they think might really be a problem and then the fine, by the time it plays out, is just a tiny fraction of what DuPont has earned from producing these chemicals. And so really, the incentive is for them to take the punishment at the end, rather than pull it out early.

So it seems like it’s just self-reporting, which is basically self-regulation in a way.

Yeah, I think that is the way a lot of advocacy groups and experts have characterized it to me, is that chemical companies are essentially regulating themselves.

So how did this danger eventually come to light? I mean, if this is in some kind of DuPont vault, what happened?

Well, there’s a couple different things that started to happen in the late ‘90s.

The community around Parkersburg, West Virginia, people had reported seeing really strange symptoms in their animals. Cows were losing their hair. They had lesions. They were behaving strangely. Some of their calves were dying. And a lot of people in the community felt like they were having health problems that just didn’t really have a good answer, mysterious sicknesses, and some cases of cancers.

And so they initiate a class action lawsuit against DuPont. As part of that class action lawsuit, DuPont, at a certain point, is forced to turn over all of their internal documentation. And so what was in the files was all of that research that we mentioned all of the studies about — animals, and workers, the birth defects. It was really the first time that the public saw what DuPont and 3M had already seen, which is the potential health harms of these chemicals.

So that seems pretty damning. I mean, what happened to the company?

So, DuPont and 3M are still able to say these were just a few workers. And they were working with high levels of the chemicals, more than a person would get drinking it in the water. And so there’s still an opportunity for this to be kind of correlation, but not causation. There’s not really a way to use that data to prove for sure that it was PFAS that caused these health problems.

In other words, the company is arguing, look, yes, these two things exist at the same time. But it doesn’t mean that one caused the other.

Exactly. And so one of the things that this class action lawsuit demands in the settlement that they eventually reach with DuPont is they want DuPont to fund a formal independent health study of the communities that are affected by this PFAS in their drinking water. And so they want DuPont to pay to figure out for sure, using the best available science, how many of these health problems are potentially related to their chemicals.

And so they ask them to pay for it. And they get together an independent group of researchers to undertake this study. And it ends up being the first — and it still might be the biggest — epidemiological study of PFAS in a community. They’ve got about 69,000 participants in this study.

Wow, that’s big.

It’s big, yeah. And what they ended up deciding was that they could confidently say that there was what they ended up calling a probable link. And so they were really confident that the chemical exposure that the study participants had experienced was linked to high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy induced hypertension.

And so those were the conditions that they were able to say, with a good degree of certainty, were related to their chemical exposure. There were others that they just didn’t have the evidence to reach a strong conclusion.

So overall, pretty substantial health effects, and kind of vindicates the communities in West Virginia that were claiming that these chemicals were really affecting their health.

Absolutely. And as the years have gone on, that was sort of just the beginning of researchers starting to understand all the different kinds of health problems that these chemicals could potentially be causing. And so since the big DuPont class action study, there’s really just been like this building and building and building of different researchers coming out with these different pieces of evidence that have accumulated to a pretty alarming picture of what some of the potential health outcomes could be.

OK, so that really kind of brings us to the present moment, when, at last, it seems the EPA is saying enough is enough. We need to regulate these things.

Yeah, it seems like the EPA has been watching this preponderance of evidence accumulate. And they’re sort of deciding that it’s a real health problem, potentially, that they need to regulate.

So the EPA has identified six of these PFAS chemicals that it’s going to regulate. But the concern that I think a lot of experts have is that this particular regulation is not going to keep PFAS out of our bodies.

We’ll be right back.

So, Kim, you just said that these regulations probably won’t keep PFAS chemicals out of our bodies. What did you mean?

Well, the EPA is talking about regulating these six kinds of PFAS. But there are actually more than 10,000 different kinds of PFAS that are already being produced and out there in the environment.

And why those six, exactly? I mean, is it because those are the ones responsible for most of the harm?

Those are the ones that the EPA has seen enough evidence about that they are confident that they are probably causing harm. But it doesn’t mean that the other ones are not also doing something similar. It’s just sort of impossible for researchers to be able to test each individual chemical compound and try to link it to a health outcome.

I talked to a lot of researchers who were involved in this area and they said that they haven’t really seen a PFAS that doesn’t have a harm, but they just don’t have information on the vast majority of these compounds.

So in other words, we just haven’t studied the rest of them enough yet to even know how harmful they actually are, which is kind of alarming.

Yeah, that’s right. And there’s just new ones coming out all the time.

Right. OK, so of the six that the EPA is actually intending to regulate, though, are those new regulations strict enough to keep these chemicals out of our bodies?

So the regulations for those six chemicals really only cover getting them out of the drinking water. And drinking water only really accounts for about 20 percent of a person’s overall PFAS exposure.

So only a fifth of the total exposure.

Yeah. There are lots of other ways that you can come into contact with PFAS. We eat PFAS, we inhale PFAS. We rub it on our skin. It’s in so many different products. And sometimes those products are not ones that you would necessarily think of. They’re in carpets. They’re in furniture. They’re in dental floss, raincoats, vinyl flooring, artificial turf. All kinds of products that you want to be either waterproof or stain resistant or both have these chemicals in them.

So, the cities and towns are going to have to figure out how to test for and monitor for these six kinds of PFAS. And then they’re also going to have to figure out how to filter them out of the water supply. I think a lot of people are concerned that this is going to be just a really expensive endeavor, and it’s also not really going to take care of the entire problem.

Right. And if you step back and really look at the bigger problem, the companies are still making these things, right? I mean, we’re running around trying to regulate this stuff at the end stage. But these things are still being dumped into the environment.

Yeah. I think it’s a huge criticism of our regulatory policy. There’s a lot of onus put on the EPA to prove that a harm has happened once the chemicals are already out there and then to regulate the chemicals. And I think that there’s a criticism that we should do things the other way around, so tougher regulations on the front end before it goes out into the environment.

And that’s what the European Union has been doing. The European Chemicals Agency puts more of the burden on companies to prove that their products and their chemicals are safe. And the European Chemicals Agency is also, right now, considering just a ban on all PFAS products.

So is that a kind of model, perhaps, of what a tough regulation could look like in the US?

There’s two sides to that question. And the first side is that a lot of people feel like it would be better if these chemical companies had to meet a higher standard of proof in terms of demonstrating that their products or their chemicals are going to be safe once they’ve been put out in the environment.

The other side is that doing that kind of upfront research can be really expensive and could potentially limit companies who are trying to innovate in that space. In terms of PFAS, specifically, this is a really important chemical for us. And a lot of the things that we use it in, there’s not necessarily a great placement at the ready that we can just swap in. And so it’s used in all sorts of really important medical devices or renewable energy industries or firefighting foam.

And in some cases, there are alternatives that might be safer that companies can use. But in other cases, they just don’t have that yet. And so PFAS is still really important to our daily lives.

Right. And that kind of leaves us in a pickle because we know these things might be harming us. Yet, we’re kind of stuck with them, at least for now. So, let me just ask you this question, Kim, which I’ve been wanting to ask you since the beginning of this episode, which is, if you’re a person who is concerned about your exposure to PFAS, what do you do?

Yeah. So this is really tricky and I asked everybody this question who I talked to. And everybody has a little bit of a different answer based on their circumstance. For me what I ended up doing was getting rid of the things that I could sort of spot and get rid of. And so I got rid of some carpeting and I checked, when I was buying my son a raincoat, that it was made by a company that didn’t use PFAS.

It’s also expensive. And so if you can afford to get a raincoat from a place that doesn’t manufacture PFAS, it’s going to cost more than if you buy the budget raincoat. And so it’s kind of unfair to put the onus on consumers in that way. And it’s also just not necessarily clear where exactly your exposure is coming from.

So I talk to people who said, well, it’s in dust, so I vacuum a lot. Or it’s in my cleaning products, so I use natural cleaning products. And so I think it’s really sort of a scattershot approach that consumers can take. But I don’t think that there is a magic approach that gets you a PFAS-free life.

So Kim, this is pretty dark, I have to say. And I think what’s frustrating is that it feels like we have these government agencies that are supposed to be protecting our health. But when you drill down here, the guidance is really more like you’re on your own. I mean, it’s hard not to just throw up your hands and say, I give up.

Yeah. I think it’s really tricky to try to know what you do with all of this information as an individual. As much as you can, you can try to limit your individual exposure. But it seems to me as though it’s at a regulatory level that meaningful change would happen, and not so much throwing out your pots and pans and getting new ones.

One thing about PFAS is just that we’re in this stage still of trying to understand exactly what it’s doing inside of us. And so there’s a certain amount of research that has to happen in order to both convince people that there’s a real problem that needs to be solved, and clean up what we’ve put out there. And so I think that we’re sort of in the middle of that arc. And I think that that’s the point at which people start looking for solutions.

Kim, thank you.

Here’s what else you should know today. On Tuesday, in day two of jury selection for the historic hush money case against Donald Trump, lawyers succeeded in selecting 7 jurors out of the 12 that are required for the criminal trial after failing to pick a single juror on Monday.

Lawyers for Trump repeatedly sought to remove potential jurors whom they argued were biased against the president. Among the reasons they cited were social media posts expressing negative views of the former President and, in one case, a video posted by a potential juror of New Yorkers celebrating Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. Once a full jury is seated, which could come as early as Friday, the criminal trial is expected to last about six weeks.

Today’s episode was produced by Clare Toeniskoetter, Shannon Lin, Summer Thomad, Stella Tan, and Jessica Cheung, with help from Sydney Harper. It was edited by Devon Taylor, fact checked by Susan Lee, contains original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for The Daily. I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’
• April 5, 2024   •   29:11 An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Kim Tingley

Produced by Clare Toeniskoetter ,  Shannon M. Lin ,  Summer Thomad ,  Stella Tan and Jessica Cheung

With Sydney Harper

Edited by Devon Taylor

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun for the first time to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals” in America’s drinking water.

Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how these chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, came to be in the water supply — and in many more places.

On today’s episode

Kim Tingley , a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.

Background reading

“Forever chemicals” are everywhere. What are they doing to us?

The E.P.A. issued its rule about “forever chemicals” last week.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Advertisement