CS 410P Course Conclusion Flashcards

A comprehensive vocabulary review of the CS 410P course covering Python basics, data structures, scientific computing, and networking.

Binary Number

A single- or multi-digit number in which each digit is either zero or one, operating on a Base-$2$ number system.

Bit

The smallest piece of data computers can work with, representing a single binary digit.

Nibble

A sequence of $4$ binary digits.

Byte

A sequence of $8$ binary digits.

IPO Model

A programming concept where a program accepts Inputs from a source, Processes them, and Outputs results to a destination.

Literal

The way a value of a data type looks to a programmer in the code, such as numeric or string literals.

Integer (int)

Whole numbers written without a decimal point, such as $-1$, $42$, or $8888$.

Floating-Point Number (float)

Real numbers written with a decimal point, such as $0.5$ or $-44.3$.

Escape characters

Special sequences within strings starting with a backslash, such as \n for a newline or \t for a tab.

Reserved words

Special keywords in Python, such as if, def, or import, that have specific meanings and cannot be used as variable names.

Variable Initialization

The process of assigning a value to a variable for the first time before it is used.

Expression

A combination of literals, variables, and operators that provides a way to perform operations on data values.

Operands

The specific data to be manipulated or operated on within an expression.

Operators

Symbols that represent simple computations in an expression, such as $+$ for addition or $**$ for exponentiation.

Quotient (//)

An arithmetic operator that performs integer division, returning the whole number part of a division.

Modulus (%)

An arithmetic operator that returns the remainder of a division operation.

String Indexing

Referring to individual characters in a string by their position, starting at index $0$ for left-to-right or $-1$ for right-to-left.

String Slicing

The operation $str1[m:n]$, which returns a substring beginning at position $m$ and ending at position $n - 1$.

f-string

A format string created by placing an 'f' before the quotes, allowing expressions inside curly braces ${}$ to be evaluated and formatted.

None

A special data type (NoneType) used to represent the absence of a value, similar to null in other languages.

Iteration

A single run or execution of the code block within a loop.

Infinite Loop

A loop where the condition always evaluates to True, causing the code to run forever and blocking subsequent code execution.

break

A keyword used to exit a loop immediately and continue with the rest of the program code.

continue

A keyword that ends the current iteration of a loop and immediately moves to the next iteration.

List

An ordered sequence of Python objects placed within square brackets that can be updated and can contain various data types.

append(x)

A list method used to add an item $x$ to the very end of a list.

insert(x, i)

A list method used to insert an item $i$ at a specific index position $x$, pushing subsequent items back.

pop()

A list method used to remove an item by its index; if no index is provided, it removes the last item by default.

Matrix

A two-dimensional list where each row is the same length, creating a rectangular structure.

Ragged List

A two-dimensional list with varying row widths, also known as a jagged list.

Range() Function

Returns a sequence of numbers from a specified start to an end (exclusive) incremented by a specified step.

Tuple

An ordered sequence of items that is immutable, meaning its individual elements cannot be changed after creation.

Dictionary

An associative data structure that stores data in unique key-value pairs using curly braces ${ }$.

Set

An unordered, unindexed collection of unique items that cannot contain duplicate values.

seek()

A file operation function used to manipulate the position of the pointer within a text or binary file.

Syntax error

An error caused by violating the formal rules of Python's language structure, such as missing colons or improper indentation.

Exception

An error that occurs during program execution when Python is asked to perform an impossible task, like dividing by zero.

Logic error

An error where a program runs to completion but produces incorrect results due to a flaw in the programmer's reasoning.

Breakpoint

A tool used in a debugger to pause program execution at a specific line to inspect variable states.

Linear Regression

A statistical model used when the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable can be represented as a straight line.

Pearson Correlation Coefficient

A measure of linear dependence between two variables that ranges from $-1$ to $1$, where values closer to $1$ or $-1$ indicate stronger correlation.

Broadcasting

A NumPy capability where smaller arrays are automatically repeated or 'stretched' to match the dimensions of larger arrays for mathematical operations.

Recursion

A programming technique where a function calls itself to solve a smaller subproblem of the original problem until it reaches a base case.

Base Case

The condition in a recursive function that can be solved directly without further recursive calls.

Inheritance

An object-oriented programming concept where a child class takes on the behaviors and properties of a parent class.

self

A special first parameter required in class methods that refers to the current specific instance of the class.

Socket

The basic building block for network programming that allows communication between a client and a server.

IP Address

A numerical label (e.g., A.B.C.D) that identifies a device on a network.

Port Number

A number that identifies a specific application or service on a destination computer.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

An open standard format used to transmit data consisting of key-value pairs or array objects.

Serialize

The process of converting data into a JSON-formatted string using the $json.dumps()$ function.