ap comp sci vocab

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abstract data types (ADT's)

lists and other collections used to develop programs

abstraction

to reduce detail or information for a purpose in a program; to help improve focus on a relevant concept; or to understand or solve a problem

algorithm

a step-by-step set of instructions implemented by a program to develop and express solutions to a computational problem

American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

character encoding scheme used to translate characters into numerical values

anonymity software

software that hides your browsing history and prevents use of cookies to track your data

antivirus software

software that you install on your computer or network to prevent viruses from infecting your computer

append (in list operations)

adding an element to the end of a list

ASCII

see American Standard Code for Information Interchange

assignment

when you put a value into a memory location and give that location a name in a program; on the AP CS Principles exam, the assignment operator is represented with an arrow (+)

authentication

a step in encryption that verifies that the recipient of the message is who should be receiving the message; see Certificate Authorities

bandwidth

see system bandwidth

binary search

a search algorithm that finds a target in an ordered set by halving the set being searched at each stage until the target is found or a set of one element is all that remains

binary number system

two-digit number system where each number represents a power of 2

bit

a single binary digit which can contain either a 1 or a 0

block-based language

one of two typical languages seen in the AP Computer Science Principles course; writing code in this language often involves dragging and dropping pictorial code, rather than typing text; see also text-based language

boolean logic

branch of algebra where all values are represented by either true or false

boolean data type

a variable that is either true or false

browser

see web browser

browsing history

list of web page addresses (and related data) that person has viewed

capacity

see system capacity

central processing unit (CPU)

the part of a computer that manages processes

Certificate Authority (CA)

issues digital certificates that validate ownership of encrypted keys used in secured communications; used in authentication step of public key encryption; managed by public key infrastructure

circuit

a complete path that allows electrical current to flow from a high voltage to low voltage; fundamental concept used in component design to manipulate data (bits)

citizen science

collection and analysis of data by non-scientists on home computers; often performed in collaboration with professional scientists

client/server model (for network)

use of a central computer (server) to manage resources on a network

cloud computing/storage

rather than using a local computer, this form of computation uses a network of remote servers to calculate and/or store data; has fostered new ways to communicate and collaborate

clustering data

grouping data sets together to provide an argument that a pattern exists

complexity (of an algorithm)

the amount of logical reasoning (sometimes measured in lines of code) required to create an algorithm

computing

using computer algorithms to solve problems

condition

a decision in an algorithm based on a Boolean value (either true or false), used to control selection in an algorithm

constraint

limit placed to control inputs or outputs

cookie

information stored by a browser to track movement and information triggered by a person viewing a website

correctness (of a program)

depends on correctness of program components, including code segments and procedures

digital divide

expression for the differing access to computing and the Internet based on socioeconomic or geographic characteristics of a population

distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks

attempt to penetrate, use, or access information on another computer or network without permission; examples include phishing or viruses

distributed system

model where multiple networked components communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages to accomplish a task

domain name syntax

hierarchical definition of what a domain should look like; for example: rea.com. The '.' character marks the location of the type of address this is.

data streaming

transfer of data at a high rate from the sender to the receiver through a network. Example: used by music services and movie providers to provide content to users.

decryption

using mathematical algorithms to decode (decipher) a message; usually this algorithm is used to protect encrypted information from unauthorized viewers; see encryption

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998

legislation passed to protect copyrighted digital data while also making it more widely available

domain name system (DNS)

a hierarchical naming system designed to identify individual entities on the Internet or any network; was not designed to be completely secure

domain name server

translates domain names to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses

efficiency (of an algorithm)

measure of the execution time and memory usage of an algorithm; often represented using Big-O notation

email

message from one computer to one or more recipients via a network; has fostered a new way to communicate and collaborate

element (of a list)

one specific item in a list

encryption

using mathematical algorithms to encode (hide) a message so only those that should read it can read it; see symmetric encryption and public key encryption

filtering data

removing parts of data sets to simplify data and/or to make conclusions more evident

firewall

part of a computer system or network that monitors incoming and outgoing communication and decides what will be allowed to travel (in or out) based on security rules

floating-point value

a numerical representation that can support a wide range of values by using a fractional component

Global Positioning System (GPS)

a satellite-based navigation system that allows a GPS receiver to determine its exact location on Earth

hardware component

physical parts of a computer system that are involved in the processing and storage of data

heuristic

a problem-solving approach that employs a practical method not guaranteed to be optimal or perfect, but sufficient for immediate goals

hexadecimal number system

a base-16 number system that uses sixteen distinct symbols, 0-9 and A-F, to represent values

hierarchical system

a structure in which elements are ranked according to levels of importance or authority

hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)

the protocol used for transmitting hypertext via the World Wide Web

hypothesis

a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

index (of a list)

a numerical representation of the position of an item within a list

input (to a procedure)

data that is provided to a procedure or function for processing

integrated circuit

a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or

input

to a procedure

integrated circuit

one of the hardware components of a computer, sometimes called a chip or microchip; it is a set of electronic circuits such as transistors and resistors that work together to accomplish a goal

intellectual property

invention created and credited to a person or corporation

internet

the worldwide connection of devices to each other via hardware including routers, servers, and other devices, each of which is given an IP address and must follow protocols

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

develops and oversees Internet standards and Internet protocols

Internet Protocol (IP)

the way devices communicate with each other

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses

locations given to devices

Internet standard

standard for how files are transferred on the Internet

iteration

a loop or repeated behavior in an algorithm; one of three different parts of any algorithm (see sequencing and selection)

key

variable applied to a block of text to encrypt or decrypt that text; the length of the key is a factor in the security and performance of encryption algorithms

latency

see system latency

linear search

a search algorithm that finds a target by looking at each item, one at a time, until the end of the set is reached or the target is found

list

a collection of data in which each item is identified by a corresponding index

logic gate

one of the building blocks of a computer chip, logic gates typically take two inputs and return either true or false; combinations of operations of gates can create different streams of logic used in calculations and processes in advanced chips such as integrated circuits

lossless data compression

data compression technique where the number of bits needed to store or transmit information is reduced and the original data can be completely reconstructed

lossy data compression

data compression technique where the number of bits needed to store or transmit information is reduced, but the original data cannot be reconstructed

machine learning

the ability of a computer to learn without being explicitly programmed; example: artificial intelligence that has enabled innovation in medicine, business, and science

memory

any physical device in a computer that stores information

metadata

data that provides information about other data

mobile computer

a portable computer that can be easily transported and used in different locations

model

a representation of a system or process, often used for analysis or simulation

modulus

the operation of finding the remainder after division of one number by another

Moore's Law

the observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years, leading to an increase in performance and decrease in relative cost

network

a connection of devices connected to each other via hardware, including routers, servers, and other devices, each of which is given an IP Address and must follow protocols

open access

a model of publishing that allows free access to research outputs

output

the data produced by an algorithm after processing the input

overflow error

an error that occurs when a calculation exceeds the maximum limit of a data type

packet

a formatted unit of data carried by a packet-switched network

parameter

a variable used in a procedure that can be passed to a function or method

peer-to-peer network

a decentralized network where each participant can act as both a client and a server

phishing

the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity

plagiarism

the act of using someone else's work or ideas without proper attribution

procedure

a set of instructions that perform a specific task

process

a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end

processor

the part of a computer that performs calculations and executes instructions

program

a set of instructions that a computer can execute

processor

the main controller (or 'brain') of a computer; it decides which process(es) will run, for how long, and what inputs to provide and what outputs to receive and share with these processes; uses RAM and ROM to manage memory needs

program

set of computer instructions assembled to help us create, analyze, understand, and/or solve problems or to automate a process

programming language

computer instructions used to translate human ideas into software

proxy server

allows user to make connection to another network service without going through the local server that the person would normally need to use

pseudocode

words used to organize thoughts to help plan writing code; pseudocode helps programmers translate specifications (requirements) into code