2.1 Elements of computational thinking

Concurrent processing

Each task is given a time slice to make it appear as tasks are being completed simultaneously.

Thinking abstractly

Removing excessive details while highlighting the key features.

Need for abstraction

Allows non-experts to use a range of systems or models by hiding complex or irrelevant information.

Difference between abstraction and reality

Abstraction is a simplified representation of reality.

Thinking ahead

Identifying the preconditions of a system, the inputs, outputs and reusable components.

Preconditions

Requirements which must be met before a program can be executed.

Cashing

Storing instructions or values in cache memory after they have been used, as they may be used again. Prefetching is when algorithms predict which instructions are likely to soon be fetched and are loaded and stored in cache.

Thinking procedurally

Breaking the problem down into steps to make it easier to solve. Then building it back together after.

Thinking logically

Identifying what decisions need to be made.

Thinking concurrently

Completing more than one task at once.