APCSP Unit 3 - Math in Python

metadata

refers to data that provides information about other data. It describes various attributes of a piece of information, such as its format, size, author, creation date, and location.

comment

a piece of text in computer code that is ignored by the compiler but is helpful to readability and human understanding of the code. It is used to provide organization, explanations, notes, or reminders within the code.

debugging

the process of identifying and resolving errors or bugs in computer programs

+

the symbol for addition in Python

-

the symbol for subtraction in Python

*

the symbol for multiplication in Python

/

the symbol for regular division in Python

//

the symbol for integer division in Python

%

the symbol for modular division in Python

**

the symbol for exponentiation in Python

=

the “assign” symbol in Python

float( ) function

a function in Python that typecasts the parameter to a floating-point number

modular division

gives the remainder of an integer division problem

integer division

division in which the fractional part (remainder) is discarded

module

a collection of Python code that can be imported; each one is usually grouped by topic, such as math, sounds, graphics, etc.

import statement

a command that allows a programmer to pull in modules already filled with code, which can can add extra features to our programs

function

a reusable block of code that performs a specific task; it is defined with a name, a set of input parameters (optional), and a return value (optional); it’s an example of abstraction in programming

math module

a collection of Python code that can be imported to extend the ability of Python to perform more complex math operations

sqrt( )

a function in the math module of Python that returns the square root of the parameter

pow( )

a function in the math module of Python that returns the result of the first parameter raised to the power of the second parameter

fabs( )

a function in the math module of Python that returns the absolute value of the parameter as a float

random module

a collection of Python code that can be imported to help generate randomness

randint( )

a function in the random module that returns a random integer between (and including) the two parameters

abstraction

the process of removing or suppressing details to create a manageable level of complexity

high level programming language

a language that contains a significant amount of abstraction, is easier for humans to read, is guaranteed to be unambiguous, and must be compiled before being executed

low level programming language

a language that contains little or no abstraction, is difficult for humans to read, is guaranteed to be unambiguous, and communicates directly with computer hardware

Machine Language

another name for binary language

Assembly Language

a low-level symbolic code that can communicate with computer hardware