Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming

• Algorithm: Set of steps to solve a problem or complete a task.
• API (Application Program Interface): Contains specifications for how the procedures in a library behave and can be used.
• Argument: The actual input expression supplied to a function or procedure in the call statement.
• Arithmetic Operators 


  +, -, *, /, %
• Assignment Statement 


  To assign a value to a variable
• Binary Search: Considered a "divide and conquer" algorithm because it divides the dataset into two equal parts. Feedback about whether the value in question is higher or lower than the midpoint of the list determines which half to discard and which half to continue searching. The dividing and searching steps are repeated until the value is found or determined to not be in the list.
• Boolean Values: Can only represent the values true or false.
• Clarity 


  How easy it is to understand.
• Concatenation 


  Attaching two things side-by-side, frequently strings.
• Condition: Certain requirements that need to be met in order for selection statements to run.
• Decision Problem: A problem that has a yes or no answer
• Efficiency: The efficiency of algorithms deals with the resources needed to run it in terms of how long it will take and how much memory will be needed. This becomes especially important with extremely large datasets, and efficiency is usually stated in terms of the size of the input. While the time will vary based on the computer used, general rules are used to determine the efficiency of these algorithms.
• Element 


  An individual value in a list.
• Expression 


  A statement that returns only one value.
• Heuristic: Some problems can't be solved in a reasonable amount of time. In this case, computers turn to an approximate solution.
• Iterative: Also called loops, and they repeat themselves over and over until the condition for stopping is met.
• Library: Contains already-developed procedures that you can use in creating your own programs.
• Linear Search: Also called a sequential search algorithm, and it checks each value of a list in order until the result is found.
• Lists: A collection of items such as integers and strings.
• Logical Operators: Known as NOT, AND and OR. These can be used to combine multiple conditions
• Modularity: When you divide a computer program into separate sub-programs
• Modulus: Modulus math uses division, but only provides the remainder as the answer, not the quotient.
• Optimization Problem: Asks what the best solution is to the task at hand.
• Procedural Abstraction: The details of how a procedure works are abstracted away. You only need to know the name of the procedure, the number and type of parameters, and the output to expect.
• Pseudocode 


  A simplified programming language.
• Relational Operators: Used with Boolean values to test the relationship between two values. ==, !=, >, <, >=, <=
• RETURN Statement: 1. To end a function before the end of the procedure is reached.

  2. To send a value back to the calling program.
• Selection Statement: Process primarily takes the form of conditional statements known as if statements.
• Sequential Statement: Consists of steps in your algorithm that are implemented in the order they're written in. Once you execute one statement, you go on to the next one.
• Simulation: Designed to represent and mirror the real world for testing.
• String: Text fields that are just a series of characters and are denoted with quotation marks around the text field.
• Substring 


  Section of strings.
• Variable 


  Placeholders for values a program needs to use.