2.2.2 Computational methods - Filip

Question 1

define decomposition

Answer 1

breaking down a large problem into lots of small subproblem that can be solved independently

Question 2

define abstraction

Answer 2

ignoring insignificant/ unnecessary details

Question 3

define back tracking

Answer 3

methodically going down every possible path then going back on yourself once you find an error

Question 4

define data mining

Answer 4

a technique used to find anomalies/ patterns in large sets of data

Analysing/ converting large quantities of data into useful information

Question 5

define hueristics

Answer 5

A general rule of thumb or estimated guess

Used to reduce time taken to solve a problem

Finds a solution close to the best solution or ‘good enough’

Question 6

define pipelining

Answer 6

different tasks being undertaken at the same time to improve efficiency

Question 7

define performance modelling

Answer 7

Performance modelling eliminates the need for true performance testing by providing
mathematical methods to test a variety of loads on different operating systems.

Question 8

Define divide and conquer

Answer 8

in this context divide and conquer refers to a way of decomposition involving divining then solving then merging parts of a larger problem back together

Question 9

Name 4 computational methods

Answer 9

Problem recognition
Problem decomposition
Abstraction
Backtracking
Data mining
Heuristics
Performance modelling
Pipelining
Visualisation
Divide and conquer

Question 10

Benefits of data mining

Answer 10

Analysis of patterns
Large quantity of data is turned into useful information

Question 11

Drawbacks of data mining

Answer 11

Patterns can be spotted but but it cannot explain the reason behind them

Privacy concerns - people may not want their data to be logged

Question 12

Define problem recognition

Answer 12

Identifying that there is a problem to be solved, determine what that problem is and determine if it can be solved via computational methods

Question 13

Advantages of heuristics

Answer 13

Good for large scale tasks