2.2.2 Computational methods

Question 1

What is meant by a computable problem?

Answer 1

A problem that can be solved using an algorithm

Question 2

Give three limiting factors to computable problems

Answer 2

• Processing power
• Computer memory
• Time

Question 3

What are tractable problems?

Answer 3

Problems that are considered to be computable // can be solved using computational methods

Question 4

Decomposition

Answer 4

• Breaking a complex problem into manageable sub-problems
• The lowest sub problems can be coded as a procedure, module, function or method

Question 5

Abstraction

Answer 5

Removing unnecessary features and keeping the necessary features that are important in context

Question 6

Enumeration

Answer 6

Method that involves designing an algorithm that performs an exhaustive search and attempts possible solutions until the correct one is found

Question 7

Simulation

Answer 7

• Process of designing a model of a real system to understand its behaviour

Question 8

Automation

Answer 8

Building problem solving models and putting them into action

Question 9

Theoretical approach

Answer 9

• Problem is represented using mathematical equations

Question 10

What is problem recognition?

Answer 10

• The ability to recognise and acknowledge that an issue exists or that a situation needs attention in an existing process or program

Question 11

Divide and conquer

Answer 11

A technique that reduces the size of a problem with each successive iteration

Question 12

Divide and conquer steps (4)

Answer 12

• Take a problem/data set
• Apply some rules
• Based on the outcome of those rules, discard any data that doesn’t match
• Repeat the process with the data that is left

Question 13

Backtracking

Answer 13

The process of incrementally building towards a solution, abandoning partial success when the solution cannot be completed and going back to a previously successful match

Question 14

Data mining

Answer 14

The concept of analysing vast amounts of data gathered from a variety of sources to discover new information and trends

Question 15

Practical applications of data mining

Answer 15

• Business and economics
• Science and engineering
• Law enforcement

Question 16

Heuristics

Answer 16

An approach to solving problems that allows/encourages us to make use of our experience and find a solution that can be considered good enough

Question 17

Performance modelling

Answer 17

The process of approximating how well models perform using mathematics

Question 18

Pipelining

Answer 18

Splitting up a large task into manageable chunks and overlapping these smaller processes to speed up the overall process

Question 19

Visualisation

Answer 19

Creating a mental image of what a program will do or how it will work

Question 20

What are the advantages of using a visualisation?

Answer 20

• Presents info in a simpler form to understand
• Can best explain complex situations

Question 21

Characteristics of a problem that are needed to be solved using computational methods

Answer 21

• Problems to be clearly defined
• Needs to be computable
• Data requirements