Topic 4: Theory of Computation

Question 1

What is problem solving?

Answer 1

Problem solving is the process of finding a solution to a difficult or complex issue

Question 2

What is an algorithm?

Answer 2

An algorithm is a sequence of steps that are followed ti complete a task.(An algorithm always terminates)

Question 3

What is assignment?

Answer 3

Assignment is the process of giving a value to a variable or constant

Question 4

What is a sequence?

Answer 4

Instructions that follow on from one another

Question 5

What is selection?

Answer 5

Selection is the process of choosing an action to take based on the result of a comparison of values

Question 6

What is iteration?

Answer 6

Iteration is the process of repeating an operation

Question 7

What are some examples of iteration?

Answer 7

For and While loops

Question 8

What is abstraction?

Answer 8

Abstraction is the name given to the process of removing unnecessary details from a problem

Question 9

What are the two types of abstraction?

Answer 9

Representational abstraction and Abstraction by generalisation/categorisation

Question 10

What is representational abstraction?

Answer 10

A representation of a problem arrived at by removing unnecessary details from the problem

Question 11

What is abstraction by generalisation?

Answer 11

A grouping by common characteristics to arrive at a hierarchal relationship of the “is. kind of “ type

Question 12

What is information hiding?

Answer 12

The process of hiding all details of an object that do not contribute too its essential characteristics

Question 13

What is procedural abstraction?

Answer 13

This abstraction involves breaking down a complex model into a series of reusable procedures

Question 14

What is functional abstraction?

Answer 14

Procedural abstraction results in a procedure. Abstracting further disregards the particular method of a procedure and results in just the function

Question 15

What is data abstraction?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Problem abstraction/ reduction

Answer 16

Details are removed from a problem until it is represented in a way that is solvable

Question 17

Decomposition

Answer 17

A problem is divided into a series of smaller sub-problems

Question 18

Composition

Answer 18

Composition can be used to combine procedures to form a larger system

Question 19

Automation

Answer 19

Automation is the process of putting abstractions of real world phenomena into action to solve problems

Question 20

Sets

Answer 20

A set is an abstract data type which contains unordered unique values (sets can contain other sets)

Question 21

What does this sign mean?
“ |”

Answer 21

such that

Question 22

What does this sign mean?
“∧​”

Answer 22

and

Question 23

How can you right an empty set?

Answer 23

{} and Ø