Problem Solving and Algorithms - Grade 9

Which of these are pillars of computational thinking?

• Decomposition: Breaking down data, processes, or problems into smaller, manageable parts

• Pattern Recognition: Observing patterns, trends, and regularities in data

• Abstraction: Identifying the most important details and discarding the unimportant aspects to make the solution manageable

• Algorithm Design: Developing the step by step instructions for solving this and similar problems

• Functional programming - treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids changing-state and mutable data

Which of these are true about algorithms?

• The steps/instructions can be ambiguous

• Algorithms rely heavily on syntax

• Languages like python cannot be used to write an algorithm

• Algorithms are about expressing thinking steps not syntax

Define the term computational thinking

• Using a computer

• Developing an algorithm to solve a problem

• Making a computer use artificial intelligence

• Google is computational thinking

• Solving a problem using a computer

Select the three basic building blocks when designing an algorithm.

• Sequencing

• Selection

• Iteration

• Functions

What is sequencing?

• When instructions are carried out one after another.

• The order in which a computer chooses to load programs.

• When data is sent to a web server and back again

• How a hard disk loads information into main memory.

The following is a simple algorithm using selection:

INPUT age

IF age > 18

OUTPUT adult

ELSE

OUTPUT child

What would the output be if age = 14?

• adult

• child

• none

When designing algorithms, there may be some steps that need _________. This is known as iteration.

Iteration in programming means repeating steps, or instructions over and over again. This is often called a ____.

Why do we need searching algorithms?

• To load an operating systems instruction set.

• To make a CPU run.

• To find a particular item among millions of pieces of data.

• To allow a computer to iterate through millions of instructions quickly.

Why do we need sorting algorithms?

• To load the computers operating system.

• To put a list of data items in order, e.g. alphabetical/numerical.

• So the CPU can work with more than one instruction at a time.

• So a computer knows which order to carry out its tasks.