Abstraction and Automation Specification Reference

3.4.1 Abstraction and automation3.4.1.1 Problem-solvingBe able to develop solutions to simple logic problems.Be able to check solutions to simple logic problems.3.4.1.2 Following and writing algorithmsUnderstand the term algorithm. A sequence of steps that can be followed to complete a task and that always terminates.Be able to express the solution to a simple problem as an algorithm using pseudo-code, with the standard constructs:• sequence•assignment• selection• iteration.Be able to hand-trace algorithms.Be able to convert an algorithm from pseudocode into high level language program code.Be able to articulate how a program works, arguing for its correctness and its efficiency using logical reasoning, test data and user feedback.3.4.1.3 AbstractionBe familiar with the concept of abstraction asused in computations and know that:• representational abstraction is a representation arrived at by removing unnecessary details• abstraction by generalisation or categorisation is a grouping by common characteristics to arrive at a hierarchical relationship of the 'is a kind of' type.3.4.1.4 Information hidingBe familiar with the process of hiding all details of an object that do not contribute to its essential characteristics.3.4.1.5 Procedural abstractionKnow that procedural abstraction represents a computational method. 3.4.1.6 Functional abstractionKnow that for functional abstraction the particular computation method is hidden.3.4.1.7 Data abstractionKnow that details of how data are actually represented are hidden, allowing new kinds of data objects to be constructed from previously defined types of data objects.3.4.1.8 Problem abstraction/reductionKnow that details are removed until the problem is represented in a way that is possible to solve because the problem reduces to one that has already been solved.3.4.1.9 DecompositionKnow that procedural decomposition means breaking a problem into a number of sub-problems, so that each sub-problem accomplishes an identifiable task, which might itself be further subdivided3.4.1.10 CompositionKnow how to build a composition abstraction by combining procedures to form compound procedures.Know how to build data abstractions by combining data objects to form compound data, for example tree data structure.3.4.1.11 AutomationUnderstand that automation requires putting models (abstraction of real world objects/ phenomena) into action to solve problems. This is achieved by:• creating algorithms• implementing the algorithms in program code(instructions)• implementing the models in data structures• executing the code.