Question

The following algorithm yields the season (Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter) for a given month and day. If moxth is 1,2, or 3, season \(=\) "Winter" Fle if month is 4,5, or 6 , season \(=\) "Spring" Flse if month is 7, 8 , or 9, season \(=\) "Summer" Flae if month is 10,11 , or 12 seascn - "Fall If wonth is divisale by 3 and day \(=21\) If season is "Winter", season = "Sprimg" floe if stason is "Sprimo", season " "Summer" Else if season is "Summer", stason " "Fall" Flae season - "Winter" Write a program that prompts the user for a month and day and then prints the season, as determined by this algorithm.

Short answer

Write a program that checks the month and day, assigns an initial season, and adjusts it if the day is the 21st of a month divisible by 3.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Problem

The problem involves determining the season given a month and a day using a set of conditional statements. It changes the season based on the month and day conditions as well.

Map Months to Initial Seasons

Categorize months into initial seasons based on their number: - Months 1, 2, 3 -> Winter - Months 4, 5, 6 -> Spring - Months 7, 8, 9 -> Summer - Months 10, 11, 12 -> Fall

Adjust Season Based on Specific Day Condition

If the month is divisible by 3 and the day is 21, adjust the season by moving to the next season: - Winter becomes Spring - Spring becomes Summer - Summer becomes Fall - Fall becomes Winter

Write the Program Structure

Begin by writing a program to take user input for the month and day. Then use conditional logic to assign the initial season based on the month.

Implement Conditional Logic

Implement the initial mapping of months to seasons using `if-else` statements. Then use additional `if` statements to check for the divisible-by-3 and 21st-day condition to adjust the season.

Finalize and Test the Program

Ensure the program correctly reads input and outputs the season. Test the program with various month and day inputs to verify it behaves as expected.

Key concepts

Season Determination Algorithm

The season determination algorithm is all about identifying the correct season based on the input month and day. Think of it as a set of rules that helps us switch from one season to the next based on the planet's orbit positions—just like how we experience seasons in real life.
In this algorithm, we start with an initial classification:

• January, February, March are considered Winter.
• April, May, June are attributed to Spring.
• July, August, September make up the Summer months.
• October, November, December are the months of Fall.

There's an additional rule where the season shifts when the month number is divisible by 3, and the day is exactly the 21st. It means that if you input such a date, the season transitions to the next one in the order: Winter to Spring, Spring to Summer, Summer to Fall, and Fall back to Winter.
This algorithm is implemented using conditional statements that handle these transitions based on the logical checks, which can be efficiently handled by a computer program.

Python Input and Output

In any programming task, getting input from the user and providing output are foundational concepts. They allow for interactive programs where you can ask the user for information and respond accordingly. In Python, this is accomplished with the `input()` function and the `print()` function.
### User Input
`input()` is a built-in Python function. It reads a line from the user as a string. For example:

month = int(input("Enter month (1-12): "))

This line asks the user to enter a month and converts their input into an integer for further processing. Similarly, you might ask for the day as follows:

day = int(input("Enter day of the month: "))

It's important to convert the input from a string to an integer, as mathematical operations would need an integer type. ### Output
The `print()` function helps to display results back to the user. In the case of this algorithm:

print("The season is", season)

This would output the determined season based on the user input. Proper input and output handling ensure that the program runs smoothly from user interaction to final result display. Always test with varied inputs to cover different scenarios.

If-Else Logic

If-Else logic is the backbone of making decisions in a programming language like Python. It helps the program decide which path of code to execute based on certain conditions. Each `if` statement has a condition that is evaluated; if true, the code block inside the `if` statement runs. If it's false, it moves onto the next conditional test below it, which might be an `else` or another `if`.
### Basic Structure
The core structure of an `if-else` statement in Python includes:

• If: Starts the conditional test, checking if a condition is true.
• Elif: (else if) Tests the next condition if the previous ones were false.
• Else: Executes when none of the preceding conditions are true.

Here's an example:

if month in [1, 2, 3]:
   season = "Winter"
elif month in [4, 5, 6]:
   season = "Spring"
else:
   season = "Another Season"

This code assigns seasons based on the month input using the `if-else` structure.
### Nested If Statements
Nested `if` statements allow additional checks. In our algorithm, once an initial season is determined, it further checks:

if month % 3 == 0 and day == 21:
   if season == "Winter":
       season = "Spring"

This allows for more complex logic flows, necessary for handling our additional rule about season transition when months are divisible by 3 and the day is 21.