All AP CSP Exam Vocabulary

Common models

allow pair programming

Logical error

a mistake in the algorithm that makes the program malfunction

• will not stop the program from showing an error, but, your program won’t work as intended

Syntax error

an error where the rules of a programming language is not followed

• the program will not run

Run-time error

an error that occurs during the execution of a program

• the program doesn't fully run

• program will terminate at the point of error 

Overflow error

an error that occurs when the data exceeds the maximum storage of the container

• the program runs but won’t work as intended

Round-off errors

an error that occurs when an exact number cannot be represented due to limited storage

• the program runs but won’t work as intended

Binary digit

a bit

Bit

the smallest unit of data in computing 

• represent all digital data 

Byte

group of 8 bits 

• instructions for the computer

Analog data

data stored in physical ways (real life data) 

• e.g.: camera, cuckoo clock

Abstraction

reducing complexity so it's easier to understand

• simplifying things that do the same thing 

• e.g.: procedures, variables 

Sampling

measure the values of the analog signal at regular intervals 

• to store analog data in digital form

Lossless data compression

reduce the number of bits stored/sent while keeping all the original data & quality

• when preserving data quality is most important 

Lossy data compression

reduce the number of bits significantly, but only allows an approximation of the original data to be reconstructed

• when minimizing data size or transmission time is most important 

Information

collection of facts & patterns extracted from data

Metadata

data about data

• the source, destination, file size, data of creation, & any other information about the piece of data

Cleaning data

the process of making data uniform without changing their meaning

• e.g.: removing uppercase letters in all variable names

Programs

can be used to process data to acquire Information 

Variable

a symbol that represents a value, it's a placeholder for a number or quantity that can be manipulated in equations, calculations, or programs

Boolean

a data type that can only hold 2 values: true or false

• yes/no question

• if statement

Lists

stores multiple related items under a single variable name

List element

an individual value in a list that is assigned an index

List index

each item in a collection has a number associated with it

• College Board starts with index 1

Algorithm

sequence of steps

• a combination of sequencing, selection, iteration

Sequencing

the order in which instructions are executed in a program

Selection

conditional statements (e.g. if, elif, else)

Iteration

loops (e.g. while, for)

Strings

a sequence of characters or text

String concatenation

joins together two or more strings to make a new string 

Substring

a string of characters that exists inside a string

• e.g. the first three characters of a password

Nested Conditionals

an if statement placed within another if statement or else block

Linear or Sequential search

each element in the list is examined (starting with the 1^st element) until the desired number is found or the list ends 

• numbers don’t need to be in order 

Binary search

a strategy to cut time by jumping data you don’t need

• numbers must be in order

Procedure

a function

Parameters

the variables you're going to be using in the function

• defines a system or sets conditions 

• def function (x, y)

Procedural abstraction

using functions to simplify programs

Modularity

you separate the code into modules to make it simpler

Software library

a subsection of premade code that can be used 

APIs (application program interfaces)

explains how procedures in a library behave & can be used

Simulations

trying to mock a real-world abstraction or event for a specific purpose 

Decision problem

a problem with a yes/no answer

Decidable problem

for every input you will get an output 

Undecidable problem 

there are some inputs that you won’t get an output for

Optimization problem

finding ways to do things in easier ways 

Efficiency (CS special definition)

an estimation of the amount of computational resources used by an algorithm

• is the algorithm efficient? does it run in a reasonable amount of time?

Heuristic

an approach that isn’t the best option but should be used so things don’t take an unseasonable amount of time 

Computing device

what processes the data & can run a program 

• e.g. computers, tablets, servers, routers, sensors 

Computing system

interaction of computers for a common purpose 

Computer network

a group of interconnected computing devices able to send & receive data 

Packet

a small amount of data sent over a computer network

• each packet has metadata about the source (sender) & destination (receiver) 

Packet switching

• a message sent through the internet is broken down into packets

• the packets don’t need to be sent in order

• the receiving device will reassemble the packets into the original message

Path

a sequence that directly connects 2 computing devices (the sender & the receiver)

Data streams

the flow of data as packets 

Router

a computing device used for routing

Routing

the process of finding a path from the sender to the receiver 

• no predetermined paths, the router decides the best path on the spot

Scalability

the capacity for a system to change in size & scale to meet new demands

• the Internet is scalable 

Bandwidth

the max amount of data that can be sent in a set amount of time (bits per second) 

Protocol

rules that specify the behavior of a system

• e.g. IP, TCP, UDP 

• the protocols used on the internet are open, this means data transmission between different devices are standardized

The Internet

a computing network made up of interconnected networks that uses standardized & open protocols 

• a computing device can gain access to the internet by connecting to a device already connected it 

World Wide Web (WWW)

a system of linked pages, programs & files; you need to enter the internet to use it 

HTTP

a protocol used by the WWW to transfer data between a browser & server 

Fault tolerance

a system can support failures & still continue to function 

Redundancy

inclusion of extra components to mitigate failure if other components fail 

• network redundancy: more than 1 path between 2 devices 

• related to fault tolerance 

Computational model

types of programs 

• e.g. Sequential Computing, Parallel Computing, Distributed Computing 

Sequential computing

runs everything in order, one at a time 

• e.g. Task A: 50 ms -> Task B: 60 ms 

• B is performed after A is finished 

• total time: 110 ms 

Parallel computing

when the program is divided & runs 2 programs at the same time 

• can increase efficiency 

• depends on the slowest program 

• e.g. Task A: 50 ms, Task B: 60 ms 

• A & B are performed at the same time 

• total time: 60 ms 

Distributed computing

parts of the program are run on different computers 

• used if one computer can’t handle the program (too slow/not enough storage) 

Digital divide

differing access to computing devices & the internet

• based on socioeconomic, geographic, and demographic characteristics 

Computing bias

can reflect existing human biases because biases are written into algorithms or biases in the data used by the innovation 

Citizen science

public involvement in scientific research, data collection, analysis, & interpretation 

Crowdsourcing

gathering data from the general public 

• e.g. survey

Intellectual property

work or invention that is the result of creativity to which one has rights 

Creative Commons

provides free licenses that you can use to tell others what they can/can’t do with your intellectual property 

Open source

source code is open, refers to programs people can redistribute & edit

Open access

online research output free of restrictions on access & use

• no copyright or license restrictions 

PII (Personally Identifiable Information)

any/all personal information 

• e.g. social security number, age, race, phone number, etc. 

Authentication measures

protect devices & information from unauthorized access 

• e.g. strong passwords 

Multifactor authentication

requiring at least 2 steps to unlock any protected information 

Encryption

the process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access

Symmetric encryption

1 key is used to both encrypt & decrypt data 

• both the sender & recipient need to have this key to secure and access the data 

Asymmetric encryption

uses 2 keys, the public for encrypting, & private for decrypting 

• sender doesn’t need receiver’s private key to encrypt 

• receiver's private key is required to decrypt 

Decryption

the process of decoding data 

Digital certificates

validate the ownership of encryption keys used in secure communications

• based on a trust model 

Computer virus

a type of malware that can infect & replicate itself within a computer system  

Malware

malicious software developed by hackers 

• to steal data & damage/destroy computers/computer systems 

Phishing

tricking people into giving personal information 

Keylogging

a type of malware that records the keystrokesa user types on a keyboard 

• used to steal sensitive information (passwords, credit card details) 

Rogue access point

a wireless network that can give unauthorized access to secure networks 

Relational operators

== | < | <= | > | >=

Logic operators

AND, OR, NOT

Conditional statements

if statement

Algorithm

sequence of steps

Iteration

loops (e.g. while, for)

Data abstraction

simplifying data into variables & lists

List traversal

the process of accessing each item in a list, one after the other

Procedural abstraction

simplifying code by putting it into functions

Procedure

function