2.1 Algorithms

Question 1

What is abstraction and decomposition

Answer 1

Abstraction - removing unnecessary information, e.g. the London Tube map
Decomposition - the process of breaking down a task into a sequence of simpler subtasks

Question 2

How do you write pseudocode

Answer 2

Basically writing in python but if you forget how to do something, you can just write it how you would say it, e.g. ** = ^

Question 3

What does an arrow mean in a flowchart

Answer 3

Flow line - shows the way to go in a flowchart

Question 4

What does an oblong mean in flowcharts

Answer 4

Terminal - the start and the end of a process

Question 5

What does a rectangle mean in a flowchart

Answer 5

Process - a set of operations that can change a value

Question 6

What does a diamond mean in a flowchart

Answer 6

Decision - which path the flow line should follow

Question 7

What does a parallelogram mean in a flow chart

Answer 7

Input/output - ask for the user to enter something or want to print something

Question 8

What does a square with thin rectangles on the side mean in a flowchart

Answer 8

Sub process - a function/procedure

Question 9

What are the searching algorithms

Answer 9

Linear - compares each value with the value you are looking for
Binary - splits the list in half, discards the half which wont have the value you are looking for

Question 10

When would you use linear search over binary search and vice versa

Answer 10

Linear:
For smaller lists
Values can be in any order
Easier to code

Binary:
For larger lists
Values must be in order
Harder to code

Question 11

What are the sorting algorithms

Answer 11

Bubble - it will compare the values until the highest value is at the top of the list
Merge - split the list into halves until the values are separate. The values are put together in the parts they were split into and sorted
Insertion - there is a sorted and unsorted and a value in the unsorted list and is compared to the values in the sorted list and it is put into its right place