Deck 2: Algorithm Discovery and Design

Question 1

____________________ operations allow us to alter the normal sequential flow of control in an algorithm.

Answer 1

Control

Question 2

Having an infinite loop in an algorithm is an error.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The if/then/else operation allows you to select exactly one of three alternatives.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

With a natural language, different readers can interpret the same sentence in totally different ways.

Question 5

The process of finding a solution to a given problem is called ____________________ discovery.

Question 6

The three basic sequential operations are called addition, multiplication, and exponentiation.

Question 7

The use of high-level instructions during the design process is an example of abstraction._________________________

Question 8

A(n) control algorithm executes its instructions in a straight line from top to bottom and then stops._________________________

Question 9

____________________ is sometimes called a programming language without any details.

Question 10

Input and output enable the computing agent to communicate with the outside world.

Question 11

The process of searching for a special pattern of symbols within a larger collection of information is called object matching._________________________

Question 12

Pattern matching can only be applied to graphics and pictures.

Question 13

Java and C++ are examples of pseudocode languages.

Question 14

Natural language is a set of English language constructs designed to resemble the statements in a programming language but that do not actually run on a computer._________________________

Question 15

In a(n) ____________________ loop, it is possible for the loop body to never be executed.

Question 16

Once an algorithm has been developed, it may itself be used in the construction of other algorithms.

Question 17

One of the most powerful features of a computer is its ability to handle loops.

Question 18

An unstructured, "free-flowing" writing style should be used for writing algorithms.

Question 19

During the initial phases of design, we should be thinking and writing at a highly ____________________ level.

Question 20

Pseudocode is a formal language with rigidly standardized syntactic rules and regulations._________________________

Question 21

In order to implement a "find" functionality in a word processor, one would have to design a ____ algorithm.

A) pattern matching
B) natural language
C) sequential
D) do-while

Question 22

Which statement exemplifies abstraction?

A) The president of General Motors views the company in terms of every worker, every supplier, and every car.
B) The president of General Motors views the company in terms of its corporate divisions and high-level policy issues.
C) A good approach to algorithm design and software development is to focus on how we might actually implement a particular operation.
D) A convenient way to view the hardware component called "memory" is to focus on the billions of electronic devices that go into constructing a memory unit.

Question 23

Together, conditional and iterative operations are called ____ operations.

A) sequential
B) control
C) hierarchical
D) dynamic

Question 24

____ is an example of a natural language.

A) C
B) Java
C) English
D) Perl

Question 25

Viewing an operation at a high level of abstraction and fleshing out the details of its implementation at a later time is known as ____ design.

A) bottom-up
B) top-down
C) increasing size
D) increasing depth

Question 26

A(n) ____ is a named storage location that can hold a data value.

A) expression
B) variable
C) computation
D) constant

Question 27

____ operations send results from the computing agent to the outside world.

A) Input
B) Put
C) Send
D) Output

Question 28

The selection of an algorithm to solve a problem is greatly influenced by the way the input ____ for that problem are organized.

A) words
B) data
C) solutions
D) pseudocode

Question 29

In the line of code, "Set the value of Area to length*width", "Area" is a ____.

A) value
B) variable
C) constant
D) primitive

Question 30

A purely ____ algorithm is sometimes termed a straight-line algorithm.

A) sequential
B) conditional
C) iterative
D) control

Question 31

A ____ is the repetition of a block of instructions.

A) cycle
B) nucleus
C) matrix
D) loop

Question 32

The ____ loop is an example of a posttest loop.

A) do/while
B) do
C) while
D) if/then/else

Question 33

____ statements are the "question-asking" operations of an algorithm.

A) Primitive
B) Iterative
C) Sequential
D) Conditional

Question 34

"Print the value of product" is an example of a(n) ____ operation.

A) sequential
B) conditional
C) input
D) output

Question 35

In a pretest loop, the continuation condition is tested at the ____ through the loop.

A) beginning of each pass
B) beginning of only the first pass
C) end of each pass
D) end of only the last pass

Question 36

____ operations provide the computing agent with data values from the outside world that it may then use in later instructions.

A) Ingoing
B) Outgoing
C) Input
D) Output

Question 37

The technique of looking at all the items in a list, starting at the beginning of the list, one at a time, until we either find what we are looking for or come to the end of the list is called ____ search.

A) sequential
B) control
C) iterative
D) random

Question 38

A(n) ____ is a collection of useful, prewritten algorithms.

A) primitive
B) binary
C) set
D) library

Question 39

An algorithm can fall into an infinite loop when ____.

A) the input operations are missing
B) the algorithm uses more than one loop
C) the output operations are missing
D) the continuation condition of the loop never becomes false

Question 40

To create a loop that executes exactly b times, we create a ____.

A) control object
B) counting method
C) counter
D) variable

Question 41

What is pseudocode and why is it well-suited for representing algorithms?

Question 42

Discuss in detail the application of pattern matching to the mapping of the human genome.

Question 43

Briefly describe what pseudocode is and is not.

Question 44

Briefly define the concept of iteration

Question 45

What is the definition of a library in terms of algorithms?

Question 46

Under what circumstances would the body of a pretest loop never be executed?

Question 47

What is the problem with using high-level programming languages to represent algorithms?

Question 48

What is pattern matching?

Question 49

What is the problem with using natural language to represent algorithms?

Question 50

Explain the importance of the concept of building blocks in the use of algorithms.