AP Computer Science Principles Exam Flashcards

Flashcards for AP Computer Science Principles Exam Review

Computing Innovation

A computing innovation includes a program as an integral part of its function; can be physical, software, or a concept.

Hardware

Physical components of a computing device.

Software

Instructions in a programming language to the computing device.

Moore's Law

The size of transistors halves every two years while the cost also halves every two years.

Collaboration

Helps people learn from each other and avoid bias in the development of computing innovations.

Learned Skills of Collaboration

Communication, Consensus building, Conflict resolution, Negotiation.

Program

Collection of programming statements that performs a specific task when run by a computer.

Code Segment

Collection of programming statements that are part of a program.

Program Input

Data sent to a computer for processing by a program (tactile, audio, visual, or text input).

Event

The action that supplies input data to a program; can be generated when a key is pressed, a mouse is clicked, a program is started, or by any other defined action that affects the flow of execution.

Program Output

Any data sent from a program to a device (tactile, audio, visual, or text output).

Incremental Development Process

Breaks the problem into smaller pieces and makes sure each piece works before adding it to the whole.

Iterative Development Process

Requires refinement and revision based on feedback, testing, or reflection throughout the process.

Program Documentation

Written description of the function of a code segment, event, procedure, or program and how it was developed.

Logic Error

Mistake in the algorithm or program that causes it to behave incorrectly or unexpectedly.

Syntax Error

Mistake in the program where the rules of the programming language are not followed.

Runtime Error

Mistake in the program that occurs during the execution of a program.

Bit

A single binary digit and is either 0 or 1.

Byte

8 bits.

Analog Signals

Continuous signals (sound, colors, temperature).

Digital Signals

Discrete or finite signals (0s and 1s).

Roundoff Error

Occurs when decimals (real numbers) are rounded.

Information

Collection of facts and patterns extracted from data.

Correlation vs. Causation

A correlation found in data does not necessarily indicate that a causal relationship exists.

Cleaning Data

Process that makes the data uniform without changing their meaning.

Large Sample Size

Magnify the bias associated with the data being used.

Metadata

Data that describe your data - used for finding, organizing, and managing information.

Abstraction

Way to represent essential features without including the background details or explanations.

High-Level Programming Language

Semi-human language to program.

Machine Code

Base language where no abstractions are implemented.

Procedural Abstraction

Provides a name for a process and allows a procedure to be used only knowing what it does, not how it does it.

DISPLAY(expression)

Displays the value of expression, followed by a space.

RANDOM(a, b)

Evaluates to a random number from a to b inclusive.

Relational Operators

Used to test the relationship between two variables, expressions or values and evaluates to a Boolean value.

Lists

Organized and formatted way of storing and retrieving data where each element can be accessed by its index.

Element

Individual value in the list that is assigned a unique index.

INSERT(list, i, item)

Inserts the item at index i and shift right items at index i or higher.

APPEND(list, item)

Adds the item to the end of the list.

REMOVE(list, i)

Removes the item at index i and shifts left items at index i or higher.

Procedure

Set of code that is referred to by name and can be called at any point in a program simply by utilizing the procedure's name.

Standard Algorithms

Find total sum of a list of numbers, Find average of a list of numbers, Find maximum/minimum of a list of numbers, Find word from a list of words.

Common Algorithm

An algorithm is to swap.

ROTATE_RIGHT()

Rotates the robot 90 degrees clockwise.

ROTATE_LEFT()

Rotates the robot 90 degrees counterclockwise

Linear Search

Algorithm for finding an element in a list that starts from the beginning of a list and sequentially checks each element of the list until a match is found or the entire list is searched without finding the element.

Binary Search

Search algorithm that halves the number of elements that need to be searched after every comparison and requires that the list must be sorted.

Flowchart

Way to represent an algorithm visually.

Run in a Reasonable Amount of Time

Algorithms with a polynomial efficiency (constant, linear, square, cube, etc.).

Run in an Unreasonable Amount of Time

Algorithms with exponential or factorial efficiencies.

Heuristic

Approach to a problem that produces a solution that is not guaranteed to be optimal but may be used when techniques that are guaranteed to always find an optimal solution are impractical.

Software library

Contains procedures that may be used in creating new programs.

Application program interfaces (APIs)

Specifications for how the procedures in a library behave and can be used.

Computing device

Physical artifact that can run a program.

Computing system

Group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose.

Computer network

Group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data.

Bandwidth

Maximum amount of data that can be sent in a fixed amount of time.

Path

Sequence of directly connected computing devices that begins at the sender and ends at the receiver.

Routing

Process of finding a path from sender to receiver.

Protocol

Agreed-upon set of rules that specify the behavior of a system.

Scalability

Capacity for the system to change in size and scale to meet new demands.

Internet protocol (IP)

Responsible for addressing and routing your online requests.

Transmission control protocol (TCP)

Defines how computers send packets of data to each other.

User datagram protocol (UDP)

Allows computer applications to send messages without checking for missing packets to save on time needed to retransmit missing packets.

Redundancy

Inclusion of extra paths that can mitigate the failure of a system if other components fail.

The Internet

Hardware made up of the computers, cables, routers, and many more components that make up the entire network; a global decentralized network connecting millions of computers.

The World Wide Web

Software used on the internet; a system of linked pages, programs, and files.

HTTP

Protocol used by the World Wide Web to transmit data.

Sequential computing

Computational model in which operations are performed in order one at a time.

Parallel computing

Involves breaking up a task into smaller, sequential pieces, then those sequential pieces are all executed at the same time, each on its own processor or on a set of computers that have been networked together.

Distributed computing

Computational model in which multiple devices are used to run a program.

Speedup

(sequential run time)/(parallel run time)

Digital divide

Difference in access to technology including access to computers and the internet.

Crowdsourcing

Sourcing model in which individuals or organizations obtain goods and services, including ideas and finances, from a large group of internet users.

Citizen science

Scientific research conducted in whole or part by distributed individuals, many of whom may not be scientists, who contribute relevant data to research using their own computing devices.

Creative Commons

Public copyright license that enables the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work.

Security

Needed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

Privacy

Right to control data generated by one’s usage of computing innovations and restrict the flow of that data to third parties.

Personally, identifiable information (PII)

Information about an individual that identifies, links, relates, or describes that person.

Authentication measures

Protect devices and information from unauthorized access.

Encryption

Uses cryptographic algorithms to encrypt data and is the process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access.

Symmetric key encryption

Uses the same key for both encryption and decryption.

Public key encryption (also called asymmetric encryption)

Uses two keys—one private and one public.

Malware

Malicious software intended to damage a computing system or take partial control of its operations.

Computer viruses

Malicious programs that can copy themselves and gain access to a computer in an unauthorized way.

Phishing

Technique that directs users to unrelated sites that trick the user into giving personal data.

Keylogging

Use of a program to record every keystroke made by the computer user in order to gain fraudulent access to passwords and other confidential information.

Rogue access point

Wireless access point that gives unauthorized access to secure networks.