1.4b Computational Methods

Thinking Abstractly and Visualisation

Thinking abstractly involves removing unnecessary elements from a problem to solve a problem. This leaves you with only the relevant information to the problem. Flow charts can be used to visualise the flow of the program and break it down into steps.

Thinking Ahead

The process of determining what the key steps of solving a problem will be and what subroutines, variables, classes will be needed for the program. Flow charts can be used to break down the program into steps.

Thinking Procedurally and Decomposition

Breaking down a large problem into a set of smaller problems, which can be solved easier by humans. This involves identifying the components of a problem, components of the solution, determining the order of steps to solve a problem, and identifying the sub-procedures needed to solve the problem.

Thinking Logically

Identifying where decisions need to be made such as convenience or efficiency, determining logical conditions which will affect the outcome of a decision and determining how decisions affect the flow of a program.

Thinking Concurrently

The process of solving multiple tasks simultaneously to improve speed and efficiency. This doesn't mean that you are working on multiple tasks at the same time. Patterns should be seen where multiple parts of a problem can be solved at once, and concurrent processing can be applied, making the program quicker and more efficient.