Big Idea 3: Algorithms and Programming - AP CSP

Sequencing

The steps in which code occurs in a program (like steps in a recipe)

Selection

Determines which path a program takes while running

Iteration

The repetition of steps in a program until a certain value is met

Linear Search

Checks each element sequentially to find a value

Binary Search

Repeatedly splits groups of elements in half to find a value

Reasonable Time

A run time for an algorithm that doesn't increase faster than a polynomial function (like 10x, x², etc). An unreasonable run time would increase superpolynomially (like 2^x or x!).

Heuristic

A technique that helps an algorithm find a good solution in a hard problem

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

Library

A collection of procedures that are useful in creating programs

API

Application Programming Interface: a library of procedures

Modularity

Seperate parts of a program that are each responsible for a specific aspect. They all make up a whole program

Traversal

The iteration over items in a list