Topic 4: Theory of Computation Flashcards
What is problem solving?
Problem solving is the process of finding a solution to a difficult or complex issue
What is an algorithm?
An algorithm is a sequence of steps that are followed ti complete a task.(An algorithm always terminates)
What is assignment?
Assignment is the process of giving a value to a variable or constant
What is a sequence?
Instructions that follow on from one another
What is selection?
Selection is the process of choosing an action to take based on the result of a comparison of values
What is iteration?
Iteration is the process of repeating an operation
What are some examples of iteration?
For and While loops
What is abstraction?
Abstraction is the name given to the process of removing unnecessary details from a problem
What are the two types of abstraction?
Representational abstraction and Abstraction by 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?
A grouping by common characteristics to arrive at a hierarchal relationship of the “is. kind of “ type
What is information hiding?
The process of hiding all details of an object that do not contribute too its essential characteristics
What is procedural abstraction?
This abstraction involves breaking down a complex model into a series of reusable procedures
What is functional abstraction?
Procedural abstraction results in a procedure. Abstracting further disregards the particular method of a procedure and results in just the function
What is data abstraction?
In ata abstraction, specific details of how data is actually represented are abstracted away, allowing new kinds of dat structures to be created from previously defined data structures
Problem abstraction/ reduction
Details are removed from a problem until it is represented in a way that is solvable
Decomposition
A problem is divided into a series of smaller sub-problems
Composition
Composition can be used to combine procedures to form a larger system
Automation
Automation is the process of putting abstractions of real world phenomena into action to solve problems
Sets
A set is an abstract data type which contains unordered unique values (sets can contain other sets)
What does this sign mean?
“ |”
such that
What does this sign mean?
“∧”
and
How can you right an empty set?
{} and Ø
