Computing paper 2

• What is meant by the term decomposition?

  Breaking a complex problem down into smaller problems.
• What is an algorithm?

  An algorithm is a set of instructions used to solve a problem.
• What is abstraction?

  Removing irrelevant details from a problem to reduce the complexity.
• What is meant by algorithmic thinking?

  Using logical steps to find a solution to a complex problem
• One advantage of using a binary search over a linear search.

  more efficient as it takes fewer steps for large lists of items.
• One benefit of using an insertion sort over a merge sort on a computer.

  The list doesn't split evenly so there is more than one way to get the right answer depending on how you split the items.
• Purpose of a truth table?

  It can convert one data type to another
• Describe the steps for a binary search.

  First

  •  middle number
  • check if selected number is equal to / matches targetnumber 
  • if searched number is larger, discard left half
  • Repeat until number found
  • or remaining list is of size 1 / 0 (number not found)
• Describe the steps for a linear search?

  Starting with the first value. Checking all values in order
• What is an array?

  An array is a static data structure that can hold a fixed number of data elements
• Explain the different ways a program can be maintained.

  Using subprograms to reuse code and make them easier to test. / Comments enable a programmer to understand the purpose of each line of code. / Appropriate variable names
• What is a syntax error?

  It is a mistake in the grammatical rules of the programming language, such as an incorrect spelling of a command word.

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• What is logical error?

  A logic error is a mistake made by the programmer - the program runs without crashing but will display the wrong output.
• What is a truth table?


  Truth tables are used to show all possible inputs and the associated output for each input.