Unit 1 vocab

Question 1

Strong Password

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Algorithm

Answer 2

a finite set of instructions that accomplish a specific task

Question 3

Abstraction

Answer 3

the process of reducing complexity by focusing on the main idea

Question 4

Sequencing

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Selection

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Iteration

Answer 6

a repeating portion of an algorithm

Question 7

Encryption

Answer 7

the process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access

Question 8

Decryption

Answer 8

the process of decoding the data

Question 9

Programming Languages

Answer 9

used to implement algorithms executed by programs

Question 10

Problem

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Instance of a Problem

Answer 11

a specific task that needs to be solved with specific input

Question 12

Optimization problem

Answer 12

a problem with the goal of finding the “best” solution among many

Question 13

Decidable problem

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Undecidable problem

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Scalability

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Efficiency

Answer 16

an estimation of the amount of computational resources used by an algorithm

Question 17

Linear or Sequential search

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Binary search

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Heuristic

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Algorithmic Bias

Answer 20

Occurs when a computing innovation systematically discriminates against certain individuals or groups and creates unfair outcomes for some and favorable outcomes for others.

Question 21

Pseudocode

Answer 21

A way to write out an idea using a simplified programming language, often used in program design

Question 22

Cryptology

Answer 22

the study of securing (or encrypting) information such that it is inaccessible by third parties.

Question 23

Cipher

Answer 23

the generic term for a technique (or algorithm) that performs encryption.

Question 24

Cracking encryption

Answer 24

When you attempt to decode a secret message without knowing all the specifics of the cipher, you are trying to crack the encryption.

Question 25

Constant

Answer 25

Data values that stay the same every time a program is executed

Question 26

Logarithmic

Answer 26

Splitting up a problem so it can be done more efficiently.

Question 27

Linear

Answer 27

anything oriented or occurring in a specific order, without deviation.

Question 28

Quadratic

Answer 28

the process of solving certain mathematical optimization problems involving quadratic functions. Specifically, one seeks to optimize (minimize or maximize)