Question 1
Learning objective
Abstraction: Be familiar with the concept of abstraction as used 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.
Read the explanation, check the common trap, then practise with flashcards and questions.
At a glance
0
Flashcards
0
Questions
Topic
Abstraction and automation
Subtopic
Abstraction
Aqa A Level Computer ScienceTheory of computation
Study support
Understand this objective
Quick explanation
Abstraction: Be familiar with the concept of abstraction as used 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
- This point belongs to Abstraction and automation, especially Abstraction.
- You need to be able to abstraction: Be familiar with the concept of abstraction as used 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.
- Use the linked flashcards and practice questions to check recall, then practise applying the idea in an exam-style answer.
Why it matters
This objective helps connect Abstraction to exam-style questions, flashcards, and revision notes for Abstraction and automation.
Quick student answer
What is representational abstraction?
Direct answer
A representation arrived at by removing unnecessary details
Key terms
- Representational abstraction: A representation arrived at by removing unnecessary details.
- Abstraction by generalisation or categorisation: Grouping by common characteristics to arrive at a hierarchical relationship of the 'is a kind of' type.
Common trap
Confusing removal with grouping: Representational abstraction removes unnecessary details from a representation. Grouping by common characteristics is abstraction by generalisation or categorisation.
Related questions
Try this as a practice card
Question 1 of 4
Choose an answer, get feedback, then move sideways through the set.
0 of 4 attempted
Flashcard prompts
Flip through the key recall cards
Flashcard 1 of 4
Press Space to flip, arrows to move
Revision tools
Choose how to practise
Flashcards0 linked cards
No objective-specific flashcards are cached for this page. Use the topic hub to revise the surrounding flashcards without triggering a frozen-subject DB fallback.Open topic hub
Practice Questions0 linked questions
No objective-specific practice questions are cached for this page. Use the topic question bank to practise nearby curriculum questions without weakening the egress guard.Open topic questions
Related learning objectives
- Problem-solving: Be able to develop solutions to simple logic problems. Be able to check solutions to simple logic problems.
Problem-solving
- Following and writing algorithms: Understand 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 pseudo- code into high level language program code. 54 Be able to articulate how a program works, arguing for its correctness and its efficiency using logical reasoning, test data and user feedback.
Following and writing algorithms
- Information hiding: Be familiar with the process of hiding all details of an object that do not contribute to its essential characteristics.
Information hiding
- Procedural abstraction: Know that procedural abstraction represents a computational method. The result of abstracting away the actual values used in any particular computation is a computational pattern or computational method - a procedure.
Procedural abstraction
- Functional abstraction: Know that for functional abstraction the particular computation method is hidden. The result of a procedural abstraction is a procedure, not a function. To get a function requires yet another abstraction, which disregards the particular computation method. This is functional abstraction.
Functional abstraction