AP CS Principles, Abstraction

abstraction

reduces information and detail to facilitate focus on relevant concepts

digital data

information that is stored and transmitted as a series of discrete symbols, or binary code, thag can be read by machines

bits

the smallest unit of digital information that can be stored on a computer

number bases

the total number of digits used in the system

binary numbers

represented by only two digits (0,1)

hexadecimal

uses 16 symbols to represent numbers 0-15 (0-9) and (A-F)

binary sequence

a string of ones and zeros that represent a variety of information

programming languages

specific instructions to produce various outputs

real numbers (floating-point)

computer shorthand for scientific notation

software

a set of instructions, data, or programs used to operate computers and execute specific task

levels of abstraction

the amount of complexity by which a system is viewed or programmed

high-level languages

programming languages that are used for writing programs or software that can be understood by humans

low-level languages

close to machine code and hardware, and provides direct control over a computers hardware and resources

abstraction hierarchy

framework for describing the functional structure

binary data

a way of representing data using only two possible values

boolean function

a result that can only have one or two possible values

logic gate

a device performing a boolean logic operation on one or more binary inputs and outputs a single binary output

chip

“microchip” stores memory or provides circuitry for micro processing

hardware

the physical components of a computer

lower-level abstraction

a level or programming that provides little to no abstraction from a computer’s instruction set architecture

higher-level abstraction

the entire system, showing less detail

models

systems created to imitate parts of a select process

simulations

used a mathematical description, or model, of a real system in the form of a computer program

hypothesis

a prediction of how a system will behave under specific conditions, or hoe variables will interact