Abstraction and Automation Flashcards
What is an algorithm
A sequence of steps that can be followed to complete a task
What is an assignment
Process of giving a value to a variable or constant
What is a sequence
Name given to instructions that follow on from one another
What is selection
The process of choosing an action to take based on the result of a comparison of values
What is iteration
The process of repeating an operation
What is abstraction
The process of omitting unnecessary details from a problem
When do you use abstraction
To simplify a problem in order to make finding a solution easier
What are the two distinct types of abstraction
Representational and Generalisation / Categorisation
What is representational abstraction
A representation of a problem arrived at by removing unnecessary details from the problem
What is abstraction by generalisation/ categorisation
Grouping by common characteristics to arrive at a hierarchical relationship of the “is a kind of” type
What is information hiding
Hiding all details of an object that do not contribute to its essential characteristics
What is procedural abstraction
Breaking down a complex model into a series of reusable procedures
What is functional abstraction
Abstracting beyond procedural abstraction disregars the particular method of a procedure and results in just a function
What is Data Abstraction
Specific details of how data is actually represented are abstracted away
This leads to new kinds of data structues to be created from previously defined data structures
What is problem abstraction
Details are removed from a problem until it is represented in a way that it is solvable
