AP CS Principles Test #2 Vocabulary

selection

determines which parts of an algorithm are executed based on a condition being true or false

iteration

a repeating portion of an algorithm. Iteration repeats a specified number of times or until a given condition is met.

encryption

the process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access

decryption

the process of the process of decoding the data

programming language

used to implement algorithms executed by programs

problem

a general description of a task that can (or cannot) be solved algorithmically

strong password

a password that is easy for a user to remember but would be difficult for someone else to guess based on knowledge of that use

algorithm

a finite set of instructions that accomplish a specific task. Every algorithm can be constructed using combinations of sequencing, selection, and iteration.

abstraction

the process of reducing complexity by focusing on the main idea. By hiding details irrelevant to the question at hand and bringing together related and useful details, abstraction reduces complexity and allows one to focus on the idea.

sequencing

the application of each step of an algorithm in the order in which the code statements are given

instance of a problem

a specific task that needs to be solved with specific input

decision problem

a problem with a yes/no answer

optimization problem

a problem with the goal of finding the "best" solution among many

decidable problem

a decision problem for which an algorithm can be written to produce a correct output for all inputs

undecidable problem

one in which no algorithm can be constructed that always leads to a correct yes-or-no answer

scalability

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

efficiency

an estimation of the amount of computational
resources used by an algorithm. Efficiency is typically
expressed as a function of the size of the input

linear or sequential search

search algorithms that check each element of a list, in order, until the desired value is found or all elements in the list have been checked

binary search

a search algorithm that starts at the middle of a sorted
data set of numbers and eliminates half of the data; this process repeats until the desired value is found or all elements have been eliminated

heuristic

an 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

algorithmic bias

bias embedded into algorithms and any level of software development