How can I approach a problem?

[Twk Amz]

Hi, I've been learning c++ for some time, I'm familiar with the synatx and that stuff. But I find it really difficult to start writting a program from scracth because i don't know where to begin! I know I'm not supposed to start codding without thinking about what I'm going to do, but I don't know how to plan my project and organize my thoughts.

I read something about writting algorithms(pseudocode and then translating) and about bottom-up and top-down design(I think it's someway related to my problem) but i still cannot figure out how to start.

For example, I want to write a programm to find out the roots of a polynomial, I broke that idea into smaller pieces of problems(like, "get the grade of the polynomial", and stuff like that) but i get stuck anyway. I don't excpect you to help me with that specific problem, but to tell me where to begin, some books related to this. That would be very helpful. Thanks in advance

[helios]

Well, no method exists to solve polynomials of degree 5 and up, so no wonder you got stuck.

Besides breaking down a problem into smaller problems, you also need to decide what the inputs for your problems are. For example, the problem of figuring out the degree of a polynomial:

unsigned get_degree(/*???*/){
    //???
}

Kinda hard to complete without knowing how polynomials will be represented.