Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Digital Intelligence For Lawyers > Week 1 - Computers, Data And Algorithms > Flashcards

Week 1 - Computers, Data And Algorithms Flashcards

1
Q

At the most abstract level, what do Computers do?

A

They receive user input, process data and with the processed data, create information for storage and/or output.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the characteristics of modern computers?

A

They operate on numerical data represented as digits and they are usually general purpose.
They are able to save, store, load, unload, compile and integrate source code.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an example of non-numerical data?

A

Words. They are symbols and considered symbolic data.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the difference between numerical and non-numerical data?

A

Numerical data are numbers. They can go from -infinity to +infinity. They have mathematical properties.

Words do not have an absolute answer.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the definition of General Purpose/ Turing Complete?

A

You are able to load different instructions (algorithms) into the same machine.
Turing complete because you can solve all types of computational tasks.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is an analog signal?

A

An analog signal is purely continuous and represents a range outside discrete data.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is an example of an analog signal?

A

Sound, light, vinyl players, film

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is digital data?

A

It is a sequence of discrete values. It breaks down data into intervals.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Computers operate on what sort of data? How does a computer recognise text?

A

Binary data (0s and 1s)
Text is represented as binary data.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the problem of NOISE

A

When you record analog data, it captures different intensities.

When you record digital data, it is represented as a binary and therefore, cleaner and more resilient to noise.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Evaluating analog vs digital: what are the trade offs?

A

Analog: capturing in a continuous, hard boundary
[-] potentially pigeonhole things

Digital: you are breaking information captures into something discrete.
[-] You may lose some of the edges, lose some information
[+] lands itself well for computing
[+] more precise

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the 3 Data Types?

A
  1. Numbers (Integers and Floats)
  2. Boolean (True or False, binary)
  3. Character Bytes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is Character Encoding?

A

It is the process of assigning numbers (1,2,3…) to symbolic characters (a,b,c…) allowing them to be stored, transmitted and transformed using digital computers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is an example of Character Encodings?

A

ASCII table represents the Latin alphabet. UTF-8.

You need to install these encodings into the computer.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is UTF-8?

A

ASCII could only represent the Latin alphabet and was seriously limited because there are way more characters in the world other than the Latin alphabet. UTF-8 helped to solve that issue by varying the length character encoding. This enabled more interoperability.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is a file?

A

It is a self-contained piece of information/resource.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is a format? What is an example?

A

Standards for encoding/decoding information in a file type. Universal file formats (standards) are pdf. Jpg. Png.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the 2 types of files?

A

Binary File: allows you to contain other things

Text File: allows you to only save text files

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are computer systems composed of?

A

Hardware and Software

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What does Hardware mean?

A

Hardware represents the physical material components of the computer system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does Software mean?

A

Software represents the non-material components e.g., application software

22
Q

What are the basic hardware components?

A
  1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
  2. Read Only Memory (ROM)
  3. Random Access Memory (RAM)
  4. Storage
  5. Motherboard
  6. Input/Output devices (I/O)
23
Q

What does the CPU do?

A

Does all the numerical and logical processing - the brain of the computer

24
Q

ROM vs RAM

A

Memory is needed to hold data in the interim

ROM: memory cannot be overwritten - fixed. An example, how the computer boots up

RAM: different working data. Loaded and unloaded.

25
Q

Motherboard

A

Circuit board that connects the different hardware components together (CPU, storage etc)

26
Q

Inputs and Outputs

A

The external devices such as the keyboard, mouse etc.

27
Q

What are Algorithms?

A

They are a well-ordered collection of unambiguous and effectively computable operations that when executed produces a result (solves a problem) and halts in a finite amount of time.

28
Q

Well ordered, unambiguous, effectively computable

A

Well ordered: must follow a fixed sequence, pre-determined

Unambiguous and effectively computable: works on numerical, Boolean logic

29
Q

How do you solve a problem using computation?

A

First, break down the problem into a numerical problem. This is your input.

30
Q

What is a computer program?

A

A computer program is the implementation of an algorithm so that it can be executed by a computer

31
Q

What is a source code?

A

Source code for programs are typically written in a high-level programming language which is human readable (Java, C+)

32
Q

How do you implement an algorithm?

A

You write the source code. it is a matter of mapping the instructions into programming language

33
Q

Operators of Boolean logic

A

AND, OR, NOT

Combinatorial/sequential logic: when there are multiple conditions (A and B and NOT C)

Truth Table: mapping out 1s and 0s to give you answers

34
Q

What are executable files?

A

Containers that has all the necessary files to run the instructions

35
Q

How to form an executable file?

A

The source code for a program is compiled into an object code by a compiler. The object code files are then linked to form an executable file.

36
Q

Executable programs are

A

Files containing machine code in binary form

37
Q

Machine code is

A

machine specific

38
Q

What is an interpreted program? What are its pros and cons?

A

Interpret (or dynamic) programes refers to source code that is not machine specific. Source code is executed directly by an interpreter, skipping the building phase completely. Source code is compiled into byte code and executed by a “virtual machine”

Pros: More portable

Con: Runs slower than compiled program

39
Q

What is an Operating System?

A

An OS is a system software that runs every time the computer is started. The OS kernel manages hardware devices through firmware and device drivers; loads programs and data into memory and sends instructions to the CPU

40
Q

What is the word for running a computer program?

A

Process

41
Q

Processes are managed by?

A

The OS

42
Q

Program’s code and any data required for manipulation or processing is loaded into?

A

The RAM

43
Q

The CPU runs a ____cycle?

A

Fetch/execution

44
Q

Users typically interact with computers through a?

A

Graphical user interface (GUI)
Command Line interface (CLI)

45
Q

What are the pros and cons of the GUI?

A

Pros: doesn’t expose the commands to the user; more user friendly

Cons: might limit what you can do with the machine; lower affordability

46
Q

What are the pros and cons of the CLI?

A

Pros: Customisable, more permutations

Cons: only works if you KNOW the commands

47
Q

What are Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)?

A

Software interface that exposes services to other software developers so that they can write programs that use those services.

48
Q

What does an API allow you to do?

A

It allows for integration of software and sometimes to expose data within databases.

49
Q

What is the definition of a deterministic system?

A

Always produces the same output every time it is given the same input or initial state

50
Q

What is an example of a deterministic system?

A

A machine/computer. It follows an algorithm which is well-ordered, numerical, unambiguous and Boolean.

51
Q

When does non-deterministic behaviour arise?

A

Non-deterministic behaviour can arise as a side-effect when deterministic programs are run concurrently or in parallel at the thread or instruction level.

Digital Intelligence For Lawyers (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions