Goal: Blow through Python fundamentals quickly (it’s revision, not new ground) and spend the real energy on DBMS indexing — that’s the meaty part this week.
Topics
| Day | Focus | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Python Basics | Variables and Data Types · Mutable vs Immutable · Strings and String Methods |
| Tue | Python Collections | Lists, Tuples, and Sets · Dictionaries · Comprehensions |
| Wed | Python Odds & Ends + Indexing Intro | Type Conversion and Truthiness · How Indexes Work · B-Tree and B+ Tree |
| Thu | Indexing Deep Dive | Types of Indexes · EXPLAIN and Query Plans · Query Optimization |
| Fri | DSA Design | Data Structure Design Problems |
Key Concepts
- Mutable vs immutable tradeoffs — why tuples exist alongside lists, and when to reach for each
- List comprehension patterns — filtering, mapping, and nested comprehensions in one line
- B-tree vs B+ tree structure — leaf-level linking and why B+ trees dominate in databases
- Reading EXPLAIN output — spotting sequential scans, understanding cost estimates
- Index selection strategies — covering indexes, composite indexes, and when NOT to index
Practice
- Solve 3 problems using list comprehensions (flatten a 2D list, filter + transform, nested grouping)
- Run EXPLAIN on 3 queries in PostgreSQL and identify missing indexes — add them and compare plans
- Design a data structure that supports insert, delete, and getRandom in O(1)
~13 topics · ~1.5 hrs/day · Focus: read the linked notes, then code each concept