Computer Components and Subsystems Quiz

Study Notes

A computer consists of both hardware and software, with hardware being the physical elements and software providing the instructions to control the hardware.
A computer's components are interconnected by a subsystem called a bus, which is like a system of roads running among the components, allowing data and power to travel between them.

The CPU consists of three major components: the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), the Memory Unit, and the Control Unit (CU).
The Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) performs mathematical tasks and logic operations in binary form (1/0) on data from the Memory Unit.
The Memory Unit consists of a small number of memory registers that store data and send it to the ALU for processing.
The Control Unit (CU) interprets software instructions, sends data and operations to the ALU, and keeps track of the sequence of instructions and data locations in the Memory Unit.

The CPU performs a fetch-execute cycle: fetching an instruction and data from main memory, decoding the instruction, executing it with the ALU, and sending the result back to the Memory Unit.

Computer Science is the study of problems, problem-solving, and the solutions that come out of this problem-solving process.
The goal of Computer Science is to develop an algorithm to solve a given problem.

An algorithm is a step-by-step list of instructions to solve a problem.
An algorithm is a set of obvious, logical, and sequential steps that solve a specific problem, similar to a recipe for preparing a specific food.
The term "Algorithm" is derived from the 9th century Persian mathematician Muhammad Ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi, also known as the Father of Algebra.
The first algorithm was developed by Egyptians for multiplying two numbers.

An algorithm typically has a START point and a STOP point, with the START point requiring inputs and the STOP point providing outputs.
An algorithm is made up of individual instructions.
When executed with valid input, an algorithm is guaranteed to terminate in a sensible way.
There can only be a finite set of instructions.
The execution of a programmed algorithm must be complete after a finite number of operations have been performed.

Absence of Ambiguity: each step of an algorithm should have a unique interpretation.
Sequence of Definition: the sequence of steps in an algorithm should be clearly specified.
Inputs and Output Definition: inputs are data items presented to the algorithm, and outputs are the data items presented as the result of the algorithm's execution.