Computational thinking

Computational thinking

1. Made up of three things

   • Decomposition - Breaking a complex problem down into smaller problems and solving each one individually
   • Abstraction - Picking out the important bits of information from the problem, ignore specific details that don't matter
   • Algorithmic thinking - A logical way of getting from the problem for a solution.
     • If the steps taken follow an algorithm they can be reused and adapted to solve similar problems in the futre

2. Used in computer science

   • Computer scientists rely on computational thinking to help turn a complex problem into small problems a computer can solve
     • E.G. sorting a list of product names into alphabetical order
       • Decomposition might decide what alphabetical order means
         • What about numbers and punctuation?
         • Decomposition may also compare the entries
       • Abstraction helps the programmers focus on the important bits
         • It doesn't matter what the entries are and what they mean
         • The important info is the order of the character in each entry
       • Algorithmic thinking will put the tasks in a step by step process
         • Might compare the entries and order them

3. The steps taken to find the best solution to a complex problem