AP Comp Sci Big Idea 3

Sequencing

The sequential 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 or program.

Iteration

The repetition of steps in an algorithm or program 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 doesn't increase 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 that helps an algorithm find a good solution in a hard problem (like always walking toward the north star when you are stuck in a forest)

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).

Library

A collection of procedures that are useful in creating programs.

API

Application Programming Interface, a library of procedures and a description of how to call each procedure.

Modularity

The separation of a program into independent modules that are each responsible for one aspect of the program's functionality.

Traversal

The iteration over the items in a list. A full traversal iterates over every item, while a partial traversal iterates over a subset of the items.