2.1 - Algorithms

Question 1

Define ‘Abstraction’ as a computational thinking technique.

Answer 1

The process of removing or hiding unnecessary details from a problem to focus on the important details in order to reduce complexity.

Question 2

Define ‘Decomposition’ as a computational thinking technique.

Answer 2

Breaking a complex problem down into smaller, more manageable sub-problems.

Question 3

State a mandatory pre-requisite for a ‘Binary Search’ algorithm to work.

Answer 3

The data set must be sorted or in order before the search can begin.

Question 4

Describe the steps of a ‘Binary Search’ on a sorted list.

Answer 4

Select the middle value and compare it to the target; if the target is larger, discard the left half; if smaller, discard the right half; repeat on the remaining half until the item is found or the list is empty.

Question 5

Describe the steps a ‘Linear Search’ follows to find a value.

Answer 5

The algorithm starts at the first value and checks each value one by one in order until the target is found or the end of the list is reached.

Question 6

Explain one advantage of a ‘Merge Sort’ compared to a ‘Bubble Sort’.

Answer 6

Merge sort is faster and more efficient for large or highly unordered lists and has a consistent running time regardless of the original order.