,OpenStax Introduction to
Computer Science Instructor
Answer Guide
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer Science...................................................................................................... 8
Review Questions........................................................................................................................8
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................12
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................14
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................15
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................15
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................15
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................17
Think It Through: Internet Commerce...................................................................................17
Think It Through: Social Determination of Technology.........................................................18
Chapter 2: Computational Thinking and Design Reusability................................................................................19
Review Questions......................................................................................................................19
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................24
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................24
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................27
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................30
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................34
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................35
Think It Through: Enterprise Business Architecture..............................................................35
Think It Through: Architectural Similarities...........................................................................35
Chapter 3: Data Structures and Algorithms........................................................................................................ 37
Review Questions......................................................................................................................37
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................42
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................44
3/3/2025
,OpenStax Introduction to Computer Science Instructor Answer Guide
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................47
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................49
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................52
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................54
Technology in Everyday Life: Online Autocomplete Algorithms...........................................54
Think It Through: Content Moderation.................................................................................55
Think It Through: Weighted Shortest Paths for Navigation Directions.................................55
Chapter 4: Linguistic Realization of Algorithms: Low-Level Programming Languages...........................................57
Review Questions......................................................................................................................57
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................61
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................64
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................67
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................76
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................78
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................79
Chapter 5: Hardware Realizations of Algorithms: Computer Systems Design......................................................82
Review Questions......................................................................................................................82
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................87
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................89
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................90
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................92
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................93
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................94
Think It Through: Why Integers?...........................................................................................94
Chapter 6: Infrastructure Abstraction Layer: Operating Systems........................................................................95
Review Questions......................................................................................................................95
Conceptual Questions..............................................................................................................102
Practice Exercises.....................................................................................................................103
Problem Set A..........................................................................................................................106
Problem Set B..........................................................................................................................108
Thought Provokers...................................................................................................................110
Feature Boxes..........................................................................................................................112
3
, Industry Spotlight: Operating Systems and Health Care.....................................................112
Think It Through: The Ethics of Open-Source OSs...............................................................112
Think It Through: Failure Existence.....................................................................................112
Think It Through: VMs vs. On-Premise Computing.............................................................112
Chapter 7: High-Level Programming Languages................................................................................................114
Review Questions....................................................................................................................114
Conceptual Questions..............................................................................................................119
Practice Exercises.....................................................................................................................120
Problem Set A..........................................................................................................................129
Problem Set B..........................................................................................................................130
Thought Provokers...................................................................................................................133
Feature Boxes..........................................................................................................................134
Technology in Everyday Life: Using Map APIs to Navigate Your World..............................134
Industry Spotlight: HLLs in Industry.....................................................................................135
Think It Through: HLLs and TechWorks...............................................................................135
Technology in Everyday Life: HLLs and Big Data..................................................................135
Industry Spotlight: Using Proven HLLs.................................................................................136
Think It Through: Understanding Optimization...................................................................136
Chapter 8: Data Management.......................................................................................................................... 137
Review Questions....................................................................................................................137
Conceptual Questions..............................................................................................................142
Practice Exercises.....................................................................................................................145
Problem Set A..........................................................................................................................147
Problem Set B..........................................................................................................................150
Thought Provokers...................................................................................................................152
Feature Boxes..........................................................................................................................154
Concepts In Practice: Managing Your Social Media Data....................................................154
Industry Spotlight: Industry Data Management..................................................................154
Global Issues in Technology: Hacked!.................................................................................154
Technology in Everyday Life: End-to-End Data Management.............................................154
Think It Through: University Miniworld...............................................................................154
Technology in Everyday Life: Databases Impact All Industries...........................................155
3/3/2025
Computer Science Instructor
Answer Guide
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer Science...................................................................................................... 8
Review Questions........................................................................................................................8
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................12
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................14
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................15
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................15
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................15
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................17
Think It Through: Internet Commerce...................................................................................17
Think It Through: Social Determination of Technology.........................................................18
Chapter 2: Computational Thinking and Design Reusability................................................................................19
Review Questions......................................................................................................................19
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................24
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................24
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................27
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................30
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................34
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................35
Think It Through: Enterprise Business Architecture..............................................................35
Think It Through: Architectural Similarities...........................................................................35
Chapter 3: Data Structures and Algorithms........................................................................................................ 37
Review Questions......................................................................................................................37
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................42
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................44
3/3/2025
,OpenStax Introduction to Computer Science Instructor Answer Guide
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................47
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................49
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................52
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................54
Technology in Everyday Life: Online Autocomplete Algorithms...........................................54
Think It Through: Content Moderation.................................................................................55
Think It Through: Weighted Shortest Paths for Navigation Directions.................................55
Chapter 4: Linguistic Realization of Algorithms: Low-Level Programming Languages...........................................57
Review Questions......................................................................................................................57
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................61
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................64
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................67
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................76
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................78
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................79
Chapter 5: Hardware Realizations of Algorithms: Computer Systems Design......................................................82
Review Questions......................................................................................................................82
Conceptual Questions................................................................................................................87
Practice Exercises.......................................................................................................................89
Problem Set A............................................................................................................................90
Problem Set B.............................................................................................................................92
Thought Provokers.....................................................................................................................93
Feature Boxes............................................................................................................................94
Think It Through: Why Integers?...........................................................................................94
Chapter 6: Infrastructure Abstraction Layer: Operating Systems........................................................................95
Review Questions......................................................................................................................95
Conceptual Questions..............................................................................................................102
Practice Exercises.....................................................................................................................103
Problem Set A..........................................................................................................................106
Problem Set B..........................................................................................................................108
Thought Provokers...................................................................................................................110
Feature Boxes..........................................................................................................................112
3
, Industry Spotlight: Operating Systems and Health Care.....................................................112
Think It Through: The Ethics of Open-Source OSs...............................................................112
Think It Through: Failure Existence.....................................................................................112
Think It Through: VMs vs. On-Premise Computing.............................................................112
Chapter 7: High-Level Programming Languages................................................................................................114
Review Questions....................................................................................................................114
Conceptual Questions..............................................................................................................119
Practice Exercises.....................................................................................................................120
Problem Set A..........................................................................................................................129
Problem Set B..........................................................................................................................130
Thought Provokers...................................................................................................................133
Feature Boxes..........................................................................................................................134
Technology in Everyday Life: Using Map APIs to Navigate Your World..............................134
Industry Spotlight: HLLs in Industry.....................................................................................135
Think It Through: HLLs and TechWorks...............................................................................135
Technology in Everyday Life: HLLs and Big Data..................................................................135
Industry Spotlight: Using Proven HLLs.................................................................................136
Think It Through: Understanding Optimization...................................................................136
Chapter 8: Data Management.......................................................................................................................... 137
Review Questions....................................................................................................................137
Conceptual Questions..............................................................................................................142
Practice Exercises.....................................................................................................................145
Problem Set A..........................................................................................................................147
Problem Set B..........................................................................................................................150
Thought Provokers...................................................................................................................152
Feature Boxes..........................................................................................................................154
Concepts In Practice: Managing Your Social Media Data....................................................154
Industry Spotlight: Industry Data Management..................................................................154
Global Issues in Technology: Hacked!.................................................................................154
Technology in Everyday Life: End-to-End Data Management.............................................154
Think It Through: University Miniworld...............................................................................154
Technology in Everyday Life: Databases Impact All Industries...........................................155
3/3/2025
