Decomposition, Pattern Recognition and Abstraction

What is decomposition?

• Adding detail to make a problem more complex

• Breaking down a complex problem or system into smaller, more manageable parts

• When you ignore the unnecessary detail in a problem

Why do we decompose a complex problem?

• To make it easier to solve

• To make it more difficult to solve

• To change the problem we have

Which of these is an example of decomposition?

• Watching a mechanic repair a car

• Finding out how a car works by looking in detail at the different parts that make up the car

• Looking at different car models for similarities between them

How often do we decompose problems?

• We never decompose them, computers do this for us

• Occasionally, but we don't really need to

• Every day, often without thinking about it

Which of these is NOT an example of decomposition?

• Thinking about how the problem could be divided into smaller parts

• Adding more parts to the problem so it becomes more complex

• Working out who could help you solve a part of the problem

What is pattern recognition?

• Breaking down a complex problem into smaller problems

• Looking for similarities among and within problems

• Building models from patterns

Why do we need to look for patterns in problems?

• Patterns make it easier for us to solve complex problems

• We don't need to look for patterns

• Patterns make it more difficult complex problems

• heart,heart,heart

• octagon, octagon, octagon

• octagon, heart, octagon

• octagon, octagon, heart

What comes next in the pattern?

• up, down, right

• down, up, left

• up, right, down

• down, left, right

What are the next two numbers in this pattern? 12, 17, 22, 27, ___, ___

• 30, 37

• 32, 37

• 32, 35

• 30, 33