Add Assignment #1 – Anagram Checker solution

[katariamonika]

What changes are you trying to make? (e.g. Adding or removing code, refactoring existing code, adding reports)

Added assignment_1.ipynb implementing an Anagram Checker:

• Part 1: anagram_checker(word_a, word_b) (case-insensitive by default)
• Part 2: extended to anagram_checker(word_a, word_b, is_case_sensitive) to optionally enforce case sensitivity
• Included clear comments and a few sample tests in cells
  No other files were changed.

What did you learn from the changes you have made?

• Normalizing strings (e.g., lower()) before comparison
• Two valid strategies to detect anagrams: sorting vs. counting characters
• Writing small, testable functions in a Jupyter notebook and validating outputs

Was there another approach you were thinking about making? If so, what approach(es) were you thinking of?

Yes:

1. Use collections.Counter to compare character frequencies instead of sorting.
2. Strip spaces/punctuation before comparing (not required here, but considered for robustness).
   I chose sorting for simplicity and readability.

Were there any challenges? If so, what issue(s) did you face? How did you overcome it?

• Making sure the correct kernel (Python 3 / ipykernel) was selected in VS Code.
• Remembering that sorted() returns lists and comparing those directly works.
  Resolved by selecting the “base (Python 3.x)” kernel and adding quick print/tests in cells.

How were these changes tested?

• Ran the provided examples and additional edge cases:
  • Different lengths (should be False)
  • Same words (should be True)
  • Case-sensitive vs. case-insensitive checks
    All cells execute without errors and outputs match expectations.

A reference to a related issue in your repository (if applicable)

N/A

Checklist

• I can confirm that my changes are working as intended

[juliagallucci]

Great!