APCSP unit 4

accumulator

a special register in the CPU where data is put in order to peform arithmetic and logic operations.

ALU

the part of the CPU that performs all logic and arithmetic operations.

assembly language

low-level language that uses symbolic names, rather than binary sequences of 0s and 1s, to represent the machine language instructions.

Cookies

Small files or bits of data that are stored on your computer.

CPU

the part of the computer's hardware that interprets and runs the computer program.

Data Privacy

assures that personal information (and sometimes corporate confidential information as well) are collected, processed (used), protected and destroyed legally and fairly

Data Security

controls access to personal information and protects against its unauthorized use and acquisition

Data Storage

This is how you archive your data. The two types of storage are hard data (RAM, Hard Drive, flash drives, solid state) and remote data (cloud computing)

deterministic

Completely predictable, an example would be a PRNG.

fair coin

when flipped would come up heads 50% of the time over a large number of coin flips.

fetch-execute cycle

the basic process performed by the CPU. On each cycle the CPU fetches the next instruction from RAM, interprets it and executes it.

hypothesis

an explanation that can be tested by experimentation.

instruction counter

a special register in the CPU that keeps track of the next instruction to be fetched.

instruction register

a special memory location in the CPU that stores the current instruction that is being executed.

machine langauge

a programming language that is directly readable by the computer's CPU. It consists entirely of 0s and 1s.

mod operator

gives the remainder when one number is divided by another.

model

an abstraction that provides a simplified representation of some complex object or phenomenon.

modular arithmetic

a system of arithmetic for whole numbers where the numbers 'wrap around' upon reaching a certain value known as the modulus. An example would be clock arithmetic. On a 12-hour clock, the time wraps around to 1 after 12 o'clock.

overflow error

an error that occurs when the computer attempts to handle a number that is outside of the defined range of values can be represented.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Information about an individual that identifies, links, relates, is unique to, or describes them. Examples include your social security number, age, race, phone number(s), and biometric data.

PRNG

an algorithm that generates a sequence of numbers that seems random but is actually completely predictable.

RAM

stores the computer's programs and data temporarily while power is on.

random

the lack of pattern or regularity. A random sequence of events has no order or pattern.

random event

an event that cannot be predicted with certainty. Examples would include flipping a fair coin, rolling a die, picking a card from a well shuffled deck.

random number generator

an algorithm that generates a sequence of numbers that seem to occur in random order.