Aqa As Computing - Ch 1 - Problem Solving

Front 1

Given

Back 1

an Initial situation

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Problem

Back 2

A given where it is not immediately obvious how to reach the goal

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Goal

Back 3

A desired outcome

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Resources

Back 4

Things that can be used to reach a goal and impose restraints

Front 5

Understanding a problem

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means turning an ill-defined problem into a well defined problem stated clearly and unambiguously

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4 components of a well defined problem

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"Givens. Resources

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Constraints

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These are limitations on what you are allowed to do is solving a particular problem

Front 8

Defining Boundaries

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Establishing the limits or rules about what can or cannot be done when solving a particular problem. A type of Constraint.

Front 9

Lateral Thinking

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Is used to challenge assumptions or establish facts and rules to define the boundaries of problem solving

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What is meant by defining Boundaries

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Establishing the limits or rules about what can or cannot be done when solving a particular problem. A type of Constraint.

Front 11

Why is lateral thinking useful in solving problems

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Is used to challenge assumptions or establish facts and rules to define the boundaries of problem solving

Front 12

Top Down Design

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is a tool that breaks a problem into a series of smaller problems (sub problems ) that are easier to work on.

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Hierarchy Chart

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Used in top down design when each smaller problem is represented by a box or procedure in a diagram

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Module

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A self contained entity that results when a problem is divided into sub problems: each module is a sub problem.

Front 15

Stepwise Refinement

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The process of breaking a problem down through successive steps into smaller problems

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Structure table

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An indented numbered list of steps produced by Stepwise Refinement

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State 5 considerations in planning a solution to a problem

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"i) What strategies will you apply?

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Computation

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"the act or process of calculating or determining something by mathematical

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Computability

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Measures what can and cannot be computed

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Computing

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is the study or natural and artificial information resources

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Artificial intelligence

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A branch of computing that studies the use of computing to perform computational processes normally associated with Human Intellect

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Algorithm

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"A description independent of any programming language of a process that achieves some task.

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"Solving a problem ""Deterministically"" "

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means without guessing a solution before confirming it.

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The purpose of an Algorithm

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is to communicate a method or process of computation to a human not to a computer

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Program

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a description in a programming language of a process that solves a problem or acheives some useful purpose.

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What is the difference between an Algorithm and a Program.

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An algorthm is a description of a process. Any algorithm can be programmed in many different programming languages

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Finite State Machine (FSM)

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"a machine that consists of a fixed set of possible states

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State Transition Diagrams (STD)

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"A way of describing an FSM graphically.

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why are FSM useful?

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"One reason is that they can recognise sequences.

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what is a FSN with NO OUTPUTS called?

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A Finite State Automaton (FSA)

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How do you distingish the Initial (start) of a FSM?

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"All FSM's have an initial state and one or more accepting (or goal) states.

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How do you distingish the accepting (Goal) states of an STD.

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"All FSM's have an initial state and one or more accepting (or goal) states.

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Mealy Machines

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"These are FSD with outputs and usually no accepting states.

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State Transition Table

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shows the effect on the current state of an FSM of partcular inputs and any corrosponding outputs

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Decision Table

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A table that shows the outcome for a given logical condition.

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Algorithm

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"A description

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Program

Back 37

A description in a programming Language of a process that acheives some useful result

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Sequence

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Consecutive steps or groups of steps processed one after another in the order that they arise

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Selection

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A decision making step in an algorithm

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Repetition or Iteration

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"A step or sequence of steps that are repeated until some condition is statisfied

Front 41

what are the 4 major steps in constructing an algorithm?

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"Identify the problem inputs

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Assignment

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an operation that assigns a value to a Variable

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Variable

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a location in memory that contains one or more data values

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what symbol is used to asign a value to a variable

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a left pointing arrow ß

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Structured English

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A very restricted subset of the English Language used to write a Pseudocode algorithm

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Pseudocode

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code that resembles a programming language but that uses less strict syntax to express and algorithm and is independent of any real programming language

Front 47

Two tips for writing good algorithms

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"Use meaningful names for variables

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Structured English Command statements

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"these usually start with a verbs eg. SET

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Structured English Selection statements

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"IF - THEN

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Sttructured English Repetition statements

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"REPEAT UNTIL

Front 51

Problem Flow Charts

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Is a diagram that shows the sequence of operations to solve a problem.

Front 52

Hand trace

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"a desk check or dry run of an algorithm.