ISC Computer Science (868) Syllabus - Class XI and XII

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core conceptual and technical terms from the ISC Class XI and Class XII Computer Science syllabus.

Algorithmic problem solving

The process of formulating computational solutions using data abstractions, functional and procedural abstractions, and object-oriented abstractions.

Sign-magnitude representation

A binary encoding method for signed numbers that uses a dedicated sign bit and magnitude bits, having the shortcomings of two representations for zero and requiring extra processing steps during addition.

Two's-complement representation

A binary encoding system for integers that simplifies arithmetic operations and provides a single unique representation for zero.

Well-formed formula (wff)

A syntactically valid expression in propositional logic constructed from propositional variables and logical connectives that evaluates to either true or false.

Universal gates

Elementary logic gates, specifically NAND and NOR, that can individually be combined to realize any other logic gate or switching circuit.

Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

A software-based execution environment that interprets compiled Java bytecode ($.class$ files), providing portability across any hardware platform that runs Java.

Exception

An anomalous event or error object generated during program run time that halts normal execution unless intercepted and handled using try-catch blocks.

Wrapper classes

Classes in the Java API that correspond to each primitive data type, allowing primitive values to be encapsulated and manipulated as objects.

this operator

A reference variable in Java that refers implicitly to the current object executing an instance method or constructor.

Constructor

A special method invoked using the $new$ operator that initializes newly instantiated objects and returns a reference to them.

Token

A delimited, continuous stream of characters within an input stream that represents a meaningful semantic unit to an application program.

StringTokenizer

A Java utility class used to break an input string into distinct tokens using whitespace or specified delimiter characters.

Recursion

A programming and mathematical technique where a method calls itself to solve smaller subproblems of the same type until reaching a base case.

Base case

The terminating condition in a recursive algorithm that directly returns a known simple value without further recursive calls, preventing infinite recursion.

Law of implication

An equivalence rule in propositional logic and Boolean algebra defined by the equivalence $p \Rightarrow q \equiv \sim p \lor q$.

Law of excluded middle

A fundamental propositional logic equivalence stating that a proposition disjoined with its negation is always true ($p \lor \sim p \equiv \text{true}$).

Law of contradiction

A fundamental propositional logic equivalence stating that a proposition conjoined with its negation is always false ($p \land \sim p \equiv \text{false}$).

Karnaugh map

A visual tabular representation used in Boolean algebra to minimize logic expressions of up to four variables into minimal Sum of Products or Product of Sums forms.

Inheritance

An object-oriented design mechanism enabling a derived class to reuse and extend attributes and methods of a superclass based on a genuine specialization relationship.

Interface (Java)

A language construct defining a set of abstract method prototypes that specifies expected behavior to be implemented by conforming classes.

Binary tree

A hierarchical data structure consisting of nodes with at most two child branches, characterized by a root node, internal nodes, leaves, and standard traversal orders.

Big O notation

A mathematical notation in computational complexity used to estimate the asymptotic growth rate and dominant resource requirements of an algorithm relative to input size.

Planning Session

The initial $90\,\text{minutes}$ period of the practical examination during which candidates prepare an algorithm and handwritten Java code before machine access.

Terminal Evaluation (Class XII Practical)

The $15\,\text{marks}$ component evaluated by the Visiting Examiner consisting of the Algorithm ($3\,\text{marks}$), Java Program with internal Documentation ($7\,\text{marks}$), Hard Copy printout ($2\,\text{marks}$), and Output ($3\,\text{marks}$).