Thinking Abstractly

Question 1

What is representational abstraction?

Answer 1

Removing excessive details to represent a problem using only the key features

Must analyse what is relevant to a scenario and simplify a problem based on this

Question 2

What is data abstraction?

Answer 2

Details about how data is being stored are hidden, allowing programmers to use data structures without knowing their implementation

Focuses on what data is available rather than how it is stored

Question 3

What are layers of abstraction?

Answer 3

Large, complex problems are split into layers, each with a different role

Highest layers are closest to the user, providing user interfaces; lowest levels interact with machine components

Question 4

What is abstraction by generalisation?

Answer 4

Grouping together similarities within a problem to identify its type

Allows categorisation of problems to use common solutions

Question 5

What is procedural abstraction?

Answer 5

Allows programmers to utilize functions without knowing their implementation

Used in decomposition and manipulating data structures; models what a subroutine does without considering how

Question 6

Why is abstraction needed?

Answer 6

Allows non-experts to use systems by hiding complex information

Enables efficient software design, reducing time spent and preventing unnecessary program size

Question 7

What are the characteristics of low-level languages?

Answer 7

Directly interact with computers but are difficult to write

They require detailed knowledge of hardware

Question 8

What are high-level languages?

Answer 8

Abstract machine code with easy-to-use syntax similar to natural language

Makes coding easier to learn and accessible to non-specialists

Question 9

What is the TCP/IP model?

Answer 9

An abstraction for how networks function, separated into four layers: application, transport, internet, and link

Each layer deals with different parts of the communication process and operates independently

Question 10

What is the difference between abstraction and reality?

Answer 10

Abstraction is a simplified representation of reality

Entities are represented as computational structures like tables and databases

Question 11

How are objects in object-oriented programming an abstraction?

Answer 11

They represent real-world entities, with attributes for characteristics and methods for actions

This allows for easier modeling of real-world processes

Question 12

What should be considered when devising an abstract model?

Answer 12

What is the problem to be solved, how will the model be used, who will use it, and which parts of the problem are relevant

These considerations help tailor the model to its purpose and audience