Final answer:
An algorithm to compute the sum of the first a natural numbers involves initializing a sum to zero, iterating through each number from 1 to a, adding each to the sum, and finally printing the sum. A flowchart would visually represent these steps with decision diamonds and process boxes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves writing an algorithm and creating a flowchart to compute the sum of the first a natural numbers. Assuming a is a positive integer, an algorithm could be as follows:
- Start.
- Initialize the sum as 0.
- Set the counter i to 1.
- While i is less than or equal to a, do the following:
- Print the sum.
- End.
A flowchart for this algorithm would include a start circle, a process box for initializing the sum, a loop beginning with a decision diamond to check if i is less than or equal to a, a process box inside the loop to update the sum and i, and an arrow leading back to the decision diamond until i is greater than a. Finally, there would be a process box to output the sum and an end circle.