Aidan Briney AP CSP B Block

Questions to reflect on after reading the Denning article: What are the 2 essentials of computation? -A series of representations -A set of rules for transforming each representation to the next in the series. Based on the article what are some of the difficulties of writing a program? In the 40’s and 50’s, writing a program was much more difficult. There were many challenges associated with it, such as writing down a differential equation and wiring up a circuit to simulate it. Writing programs back then involved lots of trial-and-error, and were much more complicated than it is today. What is an algorithm? Algorithms describe and control what computers do, they are a set of mechanical steps that transform input data to output data. What were some of the problems identified with algorithms? Algorithms can be difficult to program sometimes. There is no effective way to tell if any algorithm implements exactly the same input-output transformations as the original....

Discuss the positive and negative results of Overture’s three search engine innovations. How did those innovations turn out today? Positives: -Web 2.0 vs Web 1.0. Web 2.0 exploit “network effects” and can supply more information about users -THanks to search engines, it is now easier -Searches and search engines give users a new form of control over information -There’s lots of new knowledge that is now easily accessible. Negatives: -We are giving search engine companies and advertisers new power over us because now they know exactly what we are searching for and what we want. -Search engines can often provide inaccurate or unreliable information. For example, when searching for “schizophrenia drugs” using Google, there were several inaccurate or incorrect results, such as “sponsored links”. -It is difficult to monitor results and links that are wrong, since there are so many results when searching with a search engine. If a TV station kept reporting lies as the trut...

How might the way you choose to represent numbers in a computer go wrong? -One example of when the way that people represent numbers in a computer could go wrong is the 2038 problem. This problem is the worry that computers that use 32 bit systems will not function after January 19th, 2038, and reset to an earlier date. This could cause catastrophe in systems that use the 32 bit system, such as automotive systems, GPS systems, and communications systems. Of all the number systems why have modern computers settled on binary? -There is not a lot of necessary circuitry, which results in the less, energy consumption, and cost. List a few rules number encoding systems must follow in order to be useful. -Encoding systems must not contain letters, numbers, pictures, or anything else. Encoding systems can only contain bits, which are commands. Why do you think some number encoding systems are more successful than others? -Some encoding systems use more advanced syste...

Develop a protocol that allows the user to send a calendar date (mm/dd). What is the minimum number of bits necessary? 9 bits Develop a protocol that allows the user to send a time (use 24hr military time hh:mm:ss). What is the minimum number of bits necessary? 17 bits Develop a protocol designed for a graph that is not square, e.g. 50 * 200. How does this alter the format of your protocol The format of the protocol changes because it would increase the number of bits needed send the message through the internet simulator, and to create the graph. Develop a protocol that can communicate locations on the surface of the earth. Longitude and latitude might be helpful tools to use.

Ghosts in the Machine, pp. 73-80 (What You See Is Not What the Computer Knows), then answer the following questions: Give an example of your own when just knowing what a computer did wasn’t sufficient - you really needed to know how and why it was doing what it was doing as well. -An example of when this happened to me was when I was building my own computer, and I needed to start it and install the operating system onto it. This process was difficult, and I needed knowledge about computers to complete it. Talk about file metadata and how it “fingerprints” a file. Include a discussion of file metadata benefits and challenges. -Metadata includes information such as the name, description, the owner of the computer that created the document, the last time the document was edited, and the last time the document was edited. This information can be useful. However, leaked authorship information can have consequences. If you plagiarize someone else’s work, then use it as your own, the me...

Koan 1: It’s All Just Bits Koan 2: Perfection Is Normal Koan 6: Nothing Goes Away Koan 7: Bits Move Faster Than Thought Pick one of the above koans and address the following questions: Argue if you agree that it is a "truth" and if it will always be a "truth." How does this koan intersect with your life as a student? I think that Koan 6: Nothing Goes Away is a truth, and will always be a truth. This is because, with computers, there are so many bits and so much space to store them that even if you try to delete or remove something from a computer, it will never truly be gone. When you delete something on a computer, it is not truly “deleted” per se but instead overwired with new data. The original data can still be recovered, and seen easily. Data can be kept forever, unless there are explicit policies to get rid of it. Because of this, I think that there is no true way to remove things completely from databases or computers. This koan intersects with my l...

2: What do you want to commit to in this class I want to commit to doing the work in this class so that I have a better understanding of advanced computer science, and so that I can do well on the AP test at the end of the year. 3: What is something that you live by I want to try and live by using my time effectively. 4: What problem do you want to solve when you graduate I'm not sure yet what problem I'd like to solve, but as the class goes on, I will think about it and decide what problem I would like to solve.

Select an innovation. It can be anything.Describe the positive and negative impacts it has had on the world. (A satisfactory answer reflects awareness and analysis of the effects on populations beyond the students’ immediately locale.) One innovation that changed the way we go about our days today is the mobile phone. This invention is innovative because something that nearly everybody has today is a mobile phone. Several positive effects that the mobile phone has had on today’s society include convenience, as sophisticated mobile phones contain ways to keep your personal information close at hand, and social aspects, as you can communicate with your friends via your mobile phone.  While there are positives to the mobile phone, there are also negatives as well. The mobile phone can be distracting, and all the features it has can stop you from being productive and diligent while the phone is within reach. Another negative of the mobile phone is the expenses associated with it. ...

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people. Do not use a computer to make anyone feel bad. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work. Don’t distract other people during class. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files. Don’t use other people’s computers to look around in their files. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. Don’t steal anyone’s work Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness. Don’t use a computer to bear false witness. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid (without permission). Don’t use software that you have not paid for without permission. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. Don’t use other people’s computer resources without their permission. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output. Don’t appropriate other people’s intellectual output. T...