Glossary
Academic Integrity
The commitment to honest and responsible scholarship, including properly citing sources when using others' work.
Example:
When you use a piece of code from an online forum in your project, demonstrating academic integrity means giving credit to the original author.
Algorithm
A set of well-defined, step-by-step instructions or rules designed to solve a specific problem or perform a computation.
Example:
To make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you follow an algorithm: get bread, spread peanut butter, spread jelly, put slices together.
Algorithm Design
The process of creating a new algorithm or modifying an existing one to solve a computational problem.
Example:
When you figure out the best sequence of moves to solve a Rubik's Cube, you're essentially performing algorithm design for that specific puzzle.
Data Compression
The process of encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation, reducing file size for storage or transmission.
Example:
When you zip a folder of photos before emailing them, you're using data compression to make the file smaller.
Debugging
The process of identifying, analyzing, and removing errors or 'bugs' from computer code or an algorithm.
Example:
If your game character keeps falling through the floor, you'll need to start debugging the code to find out why.
Efficiency
A measure of how well an algorithm uses resources, such as time (how fast it runs) and space (how much memory it uses), to complete its task.
Example:
When searching for a contact on your phone, a highly efficient search algorithm quickly finds the name, even in a list of thousands.
Sorting Algorithms
Algorithms designed to arrange elements of a list or array in a specific order, such as numerical or alphabetical.
Example:
A music streaming app uses sorting algorithms to arrange your playlist by artist name or song length.