Computer systems

"Describe the relationship between hardware and software in a computer system."

"Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system, including both external (peripheral) and internal (processing and storage) parts. Software is any program or collection of instructions and data that can be run and processed by a computer system."

"Define application software."

"Application software is a program that can be run on a computer, allowing the user to carry out specific tasks."

"Explain the purpose of system software."

"System software is designed to cover technical aspects of setting up, running, and maintaining a computer system, providing a platform for application software."

"How do assemblers function in computer programming?"

"Assemblers are translators in low-level language that convert assembly language into machine code."

"What is the role of compilers in programming?"

"Compilers are translators that convert high-level language to machine code."

"Describe the function of interpreters in programming languages."

"Interpreters check a source program for syntax errors line by line, translate it to machine code, and execute the line."

"What are libraries in the context of software development?"

"Libraries are collections of programs that are already compiled and can be loaded into a program and run whenever required."

"Explain the function of an operating system."

"An operating system is a set of programs managing the operation of the computer, loaded into RAM every time the computer is turned on, bridging the user to the hardware."

"Define the term 'translator' in computer science."

"A translator is a program that converts code from one computer language to another."

"What is a utility program and its purpose?"

"A utility program is made to perform a generic or common task that is routinely executed by a user, related to analyzing, configuring, or optimizing."

"Describe the role of an Operating System in resource management."

"The role of an Operating System (OS) in resource management involves the collective efficient management of available hardware and software to optimize the performance of the computer system."

"Explain the purpose of scheduling in an Operating System."

"Scheduling in an Operating System is the process of allocating processor time to each application to ensure that processor time is used as efficiently as possible when multitasking."

"Define Assembly Language."

"Assembly Language is a low-level programming language consisting of a set of mnemonic instructions that directly corresponds to the processor architecture’s machine code instruction set."

"How does a High-Level Language differ from a Low-Level Language?"

"A High-Level Language has a strong abstraction from a processor’s internal instruction set and is much more human-readable, using natural-language keywords, while a Low-Level Language has little to no abstraction and is closer to machine code."

"Explain the characteristics of Imperative Languages."

"Imperative Languages are built on the programming paradigm of using subroutines and procedures as instructions to change a program’s state and describe how a program operates."

"What is Machine Code?"

"Machine Code is a low-level programming language written in binary that is directly understood by the CPU."

"Describe the function of Bytecode in programming."

"Bytecode is an intermediate instruction set used to write the final output of some compilers, allowing it to be executed on any computer via a virtual machine."

"Define the AND logical operator."

"The AND logical operator (∧) returns TRUE (or 1) if and only if all inputs are TRUE (or 1)."

"Explain the purpose of D-Type Flip Flops in digital circuits."

"D-Type Flip Flops are sequential logic circuits used to store a single bit, having two stable states that can be flipped between using an input signal."

"What is the function of a Full Adder?"

"A Full Adder is a combination of two half adders that takes a carry bit and two other input bits, returning their sum and the new carry as two output bits."

"Describe the operation of Half Adders."

"Half Adders are combinational arithmetic circuits that add two numbers and produce a sum bit (S) and carry bit (C) as the output."

"Describe the NAND logical operator."

"NAND is a logical operator that returns FALSE (or 0) if and only if all inputs are TRUE (or 1). It is equivalent to an AND gate connected to a NOT gate."

"Explain the NOR logical operator."

"NOR is a logical operator that returns FALSE (or 0) if at least one of the inputs is TRUE (or 1). It is equivalent to an OR gate connected to a NOT gate."

"Define the NOT logical operator."

"NOT (¬) is a logical operator that returns TRUE (or 1) if and only if the input is FALSE (or 0), effectively returning the opposite of the input."

"How does the OR logical operator function?"

"The OR logical operator (∨) returns TRUE (or 1) if at least one of the inputs is TRUE (or 1)."

"What is the function of the XOR logical operator?"

"XOR is a logical operator that returns TRUE (or 1) if and only if exactly one of the inputs is TRUE (or 1)."

"Explain the Absorption Laws in Boolean Algebra."

"The Absorption Laws state that A ∧ (A ∨ B) = A and A ∨ (A ∧ B) = A."

"Describe the Association Laws in Boolean Algebra."

"The Association Laws state that A ∧ (B ∧ C) = (A ∧ B) ∧ C and A ∨ (B ∨ C) = (A ∨ B) ∨ C."

"Define Boolean Expressions."

"Boolean Expressions are combinations of boolean variables and logical operators that evaluate to either TRUE or FALSE depending on the input."

"What is Boolean Logic?"

"Boolean Logic is a type of algebra that uses logical operators where all values and expressions ultimately reduce to TRUE or FALSE."

"Explain the Commutation Laws in Boolean Algebra."

"The Commutation Laws state that A ∧ B = B ∧ A and A ∨ B = B ∨ A."

"Describe De Morgan’s First Law."

"De Morgan’s First Law states that ¬(A ∨ B) = ¬A ∧ ¬B."

"What does De Morgan’s Second Law state?"

"De Morgan’s Second Law states that ¬(A ∧ B) = ¬A ∨ ¬B."

"Explain the Distribution Laws in Boolean Algebra."

"The Distribution Laws state that A ∧ (B ∨ C) = (A ∧ B) ∨ (A ∧ C) and (A ∨ B) ∧ (C ∨ D) = (A ∧ C) ∨ (A ∧ D) ∨ (B ∧ C) ∨ (B ∧ D)."

"What is the Double Negation Law?"

"The Double Negation Law states that A = ¬¬A."

"Describe the Idempotence Laws in Boolean Algebra."

"The Idempotence Laws state that A ∧ A = A."

"Explain the Inverse Law involving conjunction."

"The Inverse Law states that A ∧ ¬A = 0, meaning that a statement and its negation cannot both be true at the same time."

"Describe the Inverse Law involving disjunction."

"The Inverse Law states that A ∨ ¬A = 1, indicating that either a statement or its negation must be true."

"Define the expression A ∨ A."

"The expression A ∨ A simplifies to A, meaning that a statement or itself is equivalent to the statement."