Algorithm design and problem solving

What is abstraction in computational thinking?

Focusing on the essential details of a problem, ignoring irrelevant information.

Give an example of abstraction.

A road map highlights roads and important landmarks, omitting terrain details.

What are the benefits of using abstraction?

Faster program development, smaller program size requiring less memory, and efficient meeting of user requirements.

What is decomposition in computational thinking?

Breaking down a complex problem into smaller, manageable parts.

Provide an example of decomposition.

Designing a program to calculate salaries by gathering inputs, calculating salaries, and displaying results.

What is pattern recognition?

Identifying repeating patterns within a problem to simplify solutions.

How does an algorithm support problem-solving?

An algorithm is a sequence of steps designed to solve a problem.

What are the key forms of algorithms?

Structured English, Flowcharts, and Pseudocode.

Describe a simple structured English algorithm for calculating an average.

Ask for the number of values, loop to input values and add to total, and calculate the average.

What is stepwise refinement?

Breaking down a task into smaller, manageable parts repeatedly.

Explain the pseudocode example for calculating the area of a chosen shape.

Choose the shape, input dimensions, calculate area based on formula, and display the result.

Calculate the area using r = 10.

Area = 3.142 * 10^2 = 314.2.

List the steps in the stepwise refinement for calculating salaries.

Input employee details, calculate salary as HoursWorked * PayRate, and display the result.