What it takes to be great software developer? It is logical thinking, reasoning. To achieve that one should have interest in puzzle solving. Great logical thinking comes if one reads Mahabharata

1. Software Development & Mahabharata
Dr. Pavanaja U. B.
CEO, Vishva Kannada Softech
www.vishvakannada.com
www.pavanaja.com
pavanaja@vishvakannada.com
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2. Before we begin
Please put your cell phones to sleep

3. India: The Knowledge-based Civilization
• World’s first knowledge-based civilization since the Vedic
times, 5000 years back
• Veda = Knowledge
• Vast knowledge heritage through the centuries
• First universities (Takshashila, Nalanda) were borne here
• Invention of zero, decimal system, and early advances in
language, mathematics, astronomy, etc. credited to India.
• Richest country of the world till the 11th century
• In the 20th century, India was termed as a rich country where
poor people live

4. What it takes to be a great
programmer?
• An engineering degree with high percentage like BE
(CS), Btech (CS), MCA, MTech, MSc (CS),.. ?
• A great score in any degree mentioned above?
• A great communication skill?

5. Landing an IT job
• Certificates alone can’t get the job
• Knowledge is important
• How to apply the knowledge and solve a problem is
the key to get a job
• Learning ability –learn from problems faced and take
the solutions to new problems
• Industry does not need walking encyclopedias
• Industry wants problem solvers

6. To become a software pro…
Should possess these -
• Logical reasoning ability
• Numerical ability
• Imaginative mind
• Interest in problem-solving
• Interest in keeping oneself updated about new
technology
• Communication skills, written and oral, is a plus point

7. Aptitude
• Bill Gates:
– IQ is all that matters
– I could teach a smart person anything
• Lewis M Terman:
– Definition of intelligence -the ability to reason abstractly
– Intelligence is not knowledge of facts but the ability to manipulate
concepts
• A company will be only as creative and innovative as
the people it hires
• Golden rule: hire for aptitude & attitude and train on
skills

8. Aptitude questions
• Logical Reasoning
• Analytical Skills
• Maths Numerical

9. Importance of Puzzles
• Bill Gates is known to be fond of puzzles
• Microsoft, Google, ThoughtWorks and many companies
hire people who solve puzzles
• Solving puzzles help in improving logical reasoning and
analytical skills
• Books are there in market based on these puzzles

10. Sample Puzzles -1
1. You have 9 balls which look alike in color, shape and size.
Out of them 8 are equal in weight also but one is heavier.
You have been given a balance but no weights. How will
you find out the heavier ball in two weighings?
2. Why are the manhole lids are in circular shape?
3. You have mugs of 3 liter and 5 liter capacity. There is a big
bucket with water. How can you measure exactly 4 liter of
water?

11. Sample Puzzles -2
4. There are 5 jars filled with pills. All pills are supposed to be
of 10 gm weight. The jars are numbered 1, 2, ..5. One of
them has pills of 9 gm. You are given an electronic
balance. By using the balance only once, you have to find
out the contaminated jar.
5. You have an employee who has to be paid by 1” long gold
bar as salary for every day. You have a gold bar of 7” long
with 1” markings. You are allowed to make just 2 cuts in
the bar. You have to settle the salary every day. How do
you achieve this?

12. Sample Puzzles -3
6. Three persons are standing in a straight line. You have 3
red hats and 2 black hats. You put one hat on each
person’s head at random and put the remaining hats away.
No one has seen the colors of those hats. You first ask the
last person what is color of the hat on his head. He says he
can't know. Then you ask the same question to the person
in the middle. He also says he can’t. The you ask the same
question to the person who is in the beginning. He gives
the correct answer . What was the color of hat on his
head?

13. Books one can read
How Would You Move Mount Fuji?
Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle
By William Poundstone
Puzzles For Programmers And Pros
By Dennis E. Shasha
How to Solve It by Computer
By R. G. Dromey
Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs
By Niklaus Wirth

14. Program & Efficient Program
• Finding GCD of 2 numbers-
Algorithm-1 Algorithm-2
function gcd(a, b) function gcd(a, b)
if a = 0 while b ≠ 0
return b t := b
while b ≠ 0 b := a mod b
if a > b a := t
a := a − b return a
else
b := b − a
return a
Which is faster?

15. Panchatantra
• Stories for children
– Converting fools to wise by telling thought provoking stories
• Five main sections-
– Mitra-bheda: The Separation of Friends (The Lion and the Bull)
– Mitra-lābha or Mitra-samprāpti: The Gaining of Friends (The
Dove, Crow, Mouse, Tortoise and Deer)
– Kākolūkīyam: Of Crows and Owls (War and Peace)
– Labdhapraṇāśam: Loss Of Gains (The Monkey and the Crocodile)
– Aparīkṣitakārakaṃ: Ill-Considered Action / Rash deeds (The Brahman
and the Mongoose)
• Contains principles of nīti - the wise conduct of life
• Complete knowhow to logic as well as moral science
to everyone

16. Mahabharata
• Indians are deep rooted in Mahabharata
• Mahabharata contains essence of life
• Everything need to live a good life is there in
Mahabharata
• Mahabharata contains Gita
• Mahabharata and Gita have lessons on
teamwork, leadership, management, etc.
• Most important for software professionals –
– Mahabharata is full of logic

17. Examples of Logic in Mahabharata
• Stories in adiparva like Hiranyakashipu and Prahlada
• Sudhanva and Arjuna war –the 2 oaths and Krishna’s
dilemma
• Draupadi’s question
• How Damayanti identifies real Nala
…..many more

18. Gita and Management
• Effectiveness is doing the right things.
• Efficiency is doing things right.
• Manager's functions
– Vision, Planning
– Cultivating leadership, Excellence, Building Innovative Organization
– Developing HR, Building
teams, Delegation, Motivation, Communication.
– Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps.
• "Whatever the excellent and best ones do, the
commoners follow"

19. Mahabharata and Teamwork
• A successful team shares the responsibilities
• Individual interests should be aligned with the team
interest
• Teamwork still succeeds when individual efforts fail
• Right man for the right job
• Inspire, invigorate, counsel your own team in moments
of need
• Know ground realities. Know different ideologies. Share
• Empower women

20. Conclusions
• To be a great programmer
– one must have good logical reasoning and analytical skills
• To achieve these
– Solve puzzles
– Read Mahabharata
– Play Chess

21. Questions?

22. Contact
Dr. Pavanaja U. B.
pavanaja@vishvakannada.com
www.pavanaja.com
www.vishvakannada.com
www.linkedin.com/in/pavanaja
www.twitter.com/pavanaja
www.facebook.com/pavanaja
ganakindi.blogspot.com
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23. Thank you
Gracias
Merci Danke
Σε ευχαριστώ 谢谢您
ありがとうございました