INMT 443 UTK Exam 1 DEFINITIONS
Programming languages - answer allow humans to write/execute instructions that
translate into a language a computer can understand
Syntax - answeris the structure of the symbols, punctuation, and words used in a
programming language
Computers speak in binary - answer the smallest piece of data is 1 bit, a bit is either
on/off (1 or a 0)
computational thinking - answer a problem-solving process in which you breakdown
problems into distinct parts, look for similarities, identify the relevant information and
opportunities for simplification, and create a plan for a solution.
4 Cornerstones of Computer Science - answer decomposition
pattern recognition
abstraction
algorithms
Decomposition - answeris the process of breaking down problems into small parts that
are more manageable and easier to understand.
first step in computational thinking
allow other elements to be applied more effectively
results in a list of tasks or requirements
Different decomposition approaches for different problems - answerTop-down - break
problem into logical chunks, then break each chunk into more detailed pieces
Bottom-up - listing all the tasks and sorting them into a structure
Phased - life-cycle or process-based; group tasks by natural order (e.g., what has to
happen first)
Categorized - shared characteristic-based; group tasks based upon similarities or
shared attributes
Good tasks will be - answerSpecific. It should be clear exactly what needs to be done.
Short-Term. It should be something that can be completed within a short time frame.
, Easy to understand. Someone should be able to read the task and understand the
objective and requirements.
Actionable. A single person should be able to take the task and complete it.
Pattern recognition - answeris finding a pattern in a set of data and determining the
sequence
Abstraction - answeris representing the general nature of a problem without including
the specific details (making a main processes and sub-processes list)
Algorithm - answerprocedure or formula for solving a problem, based on conducting a
series of specified actions
3 components of an algorithm - answerSequence (also known as Process) - steps in the
algorithm executed in a specified order (usually top down)
Repetition (also known as Iteration or Looping) - block of code that is repeated either a
certain number of times or until a condition is met
Decision (also known as Selection) - block of code that tests a condition and provides
an outcome
Step (i.e., line) - answereach individual command executed by a program
Block - answerseveral lines of code that belong together (i.e., accomplish a joint task
together)
Condition - answertrue/false statements which determine subsequent actions in a
program (used in both repetition and decision logic)
Operator - answeris a character that represents an action or process
2 most common types of condition operators - answerComparison operators compare a
value to another value (e.g., =, >, <, >=, <=, !)
Logical operators allow multiple values to be tested together (e.g., and, or, not)
Two common methods of documenting algorithms - answerLogic Flowchart - graphical
diagram used to depict the flow of logic
Pseudocode - written technique to describe logic that mimics coding structure, but
doesn't use syntax
Variable - answera named container for holding a single value
Programming languages - answer allow humans to write/execute instructions that
translate into a language a computer can understand
Syntax - answeris the structure of the symbols, punctuation, and words used in a
programming language
Computers speak in binary - answer the smallest piece of data is 1 bit, a bit is either
on/off (1 or a 0)
computational thinking - answer a problem-solving process in which you breakdown
problems into distinct parts, look for similarities, identify the relevant information and
opportunities for simplification, and create a plan for a solution.
4 Cornerstones of Computer Science - answer decomposition
pattern recognition
abstraction
algorithms
Decomposition - answeris the process of breaking down problems into small parts that
are more manageable and easier to understand.
first step in computational thinking
allow other elements to be applied more effectively
results in a list of tasks or requirements
Different decomposition approaches for different problems - answerTop-down - break
problem into logical chunks, then break each chunk into more detailed pieces
Bottom-up - listing all the tasks and sorting them into a structure
Phased - life-cycle or process-based; group tasks by natural order (e.g., what has to
happen first)
Categorized - shared characteristic-based; group tasks based upon similarities or
shared attributes
Good tasks will be - answerSpecific. It should be clear exactly what needs to be done.
Short-Term. It should be something that can be completed within a short time frame.
, Easy to understand. Someone should be able to read the task and understand the
objective and requirements.
Actionable. A single person should be able to take the task and complete it.
Pattern recognition - answeris finding a pattern in a set of data and determining the
sequence
Abstraction - answeris representing the general nature of a problem without including
the specific details (making a main processes and sub-processes list)
Algorithm - answerprocedure or formula for solving a problem, based on conducting a
series of specified actions
3 components of an algorithm - answerSequence (also known as Process) - steps in the
algorithm executed in a specified order (usually top down)
Repetition (also known as Iteration or Looping) - block of code that is repeated either a
certain number of times or until a condition is met
Decision (also known as Selection) - block of code that tests a condition and provides
an outcome
Step (i.e., line) - answereach individual command executed by a program
Block - answerseveral lines of code that belong together (i.e., accomplish a joint task
together)
Condition - answertrue/false statements which determine subsequent actions in a
program (used in both repetition and decision logic)
Operator - answeris a character that represents an action or process
2 most common types of condition operators - answerComparison operators compare a
value to another value (e.g., =, >, <, >=, <=, !)
Logical operators allow multiple values to be tested together (e.g., and, or, not)
Two common methods of documenting algorithms - answerLogic Flowchart - graphical
diagram used to depict the flow of logic
Pseudocode - written technique to describe logic that mimics coding structure, but
doesn't use syntax
Variable - answera named container for holding a single value
