AP Computer Science Principles Vocabulary

These vocabulary terms primarily come from Khan Academy, with a few that I added myself. Visit the following link to see the article where these terms came from: https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/ap-computer-science-principles/ap-csp-exam-preparation/prepare-for-the-2019-ap-cs-p-exam/a/vocabulary-review?classCode=JK5335DZ

overflow

Error that results when the amount of bits is not enough to represent the number (like a car’s odometer “rolling over”).

round-off

Error that results when the number of bits is not enough to represent the number with full precision (like using 3 digits to represent pi as 3.14).

metadata

Data about data, like descriptive information about a file or a row in a database.

lossless

Compressing data in a way that preserves all data and allows full recovery of the original.

lossy

Compressing data in a way that discards some data and makes it impossible to recover the original.

sequencing

The consecutive execution of steps in an algorithm or code in a program (like steps in a recipe)

selection

A Boolean condition to determine which of two paths are taken in an algorithm.

iteration

Repeating steps in an algorithm for a certain amount of times or until a certain condition is met.

linear search

An algorithm that iterates through each item in a list until it finds the target value.

binary search

An algorithm that searches a sorted list for a value by repeatedly splitting the list in half.

reasonable time

A run time for an algorithm that increase as fast or faster than a polynomial function of the input size (like 10n, n^2, etc). An unreasonable run time would increase superpolynomially (like 2^n or n!).

heuristic

A technique designed for solving a problem more quickly when classic methods are too slow, or when such methods fail to find any exact solution.

undecidable

A problem that is so logically difficult, we can’t ever create an algorithm that would be able to answer "yes or "no" for all inputs (like the halting problem).

API (Application Programming Interface)

A library of procedures and a description of how to call each procedure.

bit rate

The number of bits that are transferred per second, typically measured in Kbps, Mbps, Gbps.

bandwidth

The maximum bit rate of a network connection.

latency

The time elapsed between sending a message and the recipient receiving the message.

IP (Internet Protocol)

The protocol that determines how to address nodes on the network (with IP addresses) and how to route data from one node to a destination node (using routers).

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

The protocol that is in charge of splitting data into small packets and reliably transmitting the packets to a destination.

DNS (Domain Name System)

A hierarchical system of name servers that are responsible for mapping domain names (like khanacademy.org) to IP addresses.

TLS (Transport Layer Security)

A protocol that adds a layer of encryption to TCP/IP connection, necessary for sending data privately across the internet.

symmetric encryption

A technique for encrypting data where the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt data.

public key encryption

An encryption system in which anyone with a public key can encrypt a message, but only those who know the corresponding private key can decrypt the message.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

The protocol that powers the web, used to request webpages from servers and submit form data to servers.

HTTPS (HTTP Secure)

The combination of the HTTP and TLS protocols to create secured connections to websites.

cookie

A packet of data sent by a web server to a browser, which is returned by the browser each time it subsequently accesses the same server, used to identify the user or track their access to the server.

DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service)

A cyber attack that floods a server with an enormous number of requests, so that it does not have the resources to service normal user requests.

virus

A type of computer malware that hides within the source code of another program.

antivirus software

An application that attempts to detect and remove computer malware downloaded to a computer.

firewall

A system that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic to a computer and filters out unwanted traffic.

phishing

An attack where a user is tricked into revealing private information, often via a deceptive email.

Moore’s Law

A prediction that the number of transistors on a chip doubles every two years, correlating to an increased speed in computers.

peer-to-peer networks

A system where one user’s computer connects to the Internet through another user’s computer without going through an intermediary “centralized” computer to manage the connection.

crowdsourcing

A model in which many online users combine efforts to help fund projects, generate ideas, or create goods or services (like Wikipedia).

digital divide

The idea that some communities or populations have less access to computing than others, typically due to limitations of internet speed or computer hardware access.

protocol

A set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data between devices.