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Questions and Answers
Which data structure supports key-value pairs and allows for efficient lookups?
Which data structure supports key-value pairs and allows for efficient lookups?
What does decomposition primarily involve in problem-solving?
What does decomposition primarily involve in problem-solving?
What is the purpose of modularisation in programming?
What is the purpose of modularisation in programming?
Which principle states that a good software design should have high cohesion?
Which principle states that a good software design should have high cohesion?
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What is low coupling in software design indicative of?
What is low coupling in software design indicative of?
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Which of the following best describes a tuple?
Which of the following best describes a tuple?
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What aspect of decomposition allows for parallel processing?
What aspect of decomposition allows for parallel processing?
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Which of these data structures does NOT support storing a collection of items?
Which of these data structures does NOT support storing a collection of items?
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What is modularization primarily aimed at achieving in software development?
What is modularization primarily aimed at achieving in software development?
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What is meant by 'cohesion' in the context of good modularization?
What is meant by 'cohesion' in the context of good modularization?
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Which of the following is NOT an advantage of modularization?
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of modularization?
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Which characteristic indicates strong cohesion within a module?
Which characteristic indicates strong cohesion within a module?
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How does encapsulation contribute to modularization?
How does encapsulation contribute to modularization?
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What does loose coupling refer to in modularization?
What does loose coupling refer to in modularization?
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In the context of Python, what is equivalent to modules?
In the context of Python, what is equivalent to modules?
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Which of the following best describes the motivation behind modularization?
Which of the following best describes the motivation behind modularization?
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What is the correct way to define a function in Python?
What is the correct way to define a function in Python?
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What does the 'return' statement do in a function?
What does the 'return' statement do in a function?
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Which statement about function parameters is true?
Which statement about function parameters is true?
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How does the flow of execution change when a function call is made?
How does the flow of execution change when a function call is made?
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What is the main purpose of a function's body?
What is the main purpose of a function's body?
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What happens if you call a function before defining it?
What happens if you call a function before defining it?
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Which of the following statements about arguments in functions is accurate?
Which of the following statements about arguments in functions is accurate?
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Which part of a function does the syntax 'def function-name(parameter-list):' represent?
Which part of a function does the syntax 'def function-name(parameter-list):' represent?
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Which characteristic is true for lists in Python?
Which characteristic is true for lists in Python?
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Which statement is true regarding tuples in Python?
Which statement is true regarding tuples in Python?
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What is the primary property of sets in Python?
What is the primary property of sets in Python?
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of strings in Python?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of strings in Python?
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What distinguishes a dictionary from other sequence data types in Python?
What distinguishes a dictionary from other sequence data types in Python?
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What method can be used to add an element to a list in Python?
What method can be used to add an element to a list in Python?
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Which property is NOT true about tuples?
Which property is NOT true about tuples?
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What is the output of range(3, 10, 2)?
What is the output of range(3, 10, 2)?
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Which statement about a for loop using range() is true?
Which statement about a for loop using range() is true?
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What does it mean that a set is 'unordered' in Python?
What does it mean that a set is 'unordered' in Python?
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What does the following code print? for i in range(5): print(i, end=' ')
What does the following code print? for i in range(5): print(i, end=' ')
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In the context of recursion, what is the purpose of the call stack?
In the context of recursion, what is the purpose of the call stack?
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What does the range function return when called with only one argument, like range(5)?
What does the range function return when called with only one argument, like range(5)?
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What is an example of a situation where problem decomposition can be beneficial?
What is an example of a situation where problem decomposition can be beneficial?
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What is the correct syntax for defining a function in Python that returns two values?
What is the correct syntax for defining a function in Python that returns two values?
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Which of the following options incorrectly describes the usage of a while loop?
Which of the following options incorrectly describes the usage of a while loop?
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What is the output of factorial(4) according to the recursive process described?
What is the output of factorial(4) according to the recursive process described?
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Which statement best describes a benefit of using recursion?
Which statement best describes a benefit of using recursion?
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What key principle does the call stack operate on?
What key principle does the call stack operate on?
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In the context of recursion, what is an activation record?
In the context of recursion, what is an activation record?
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In the process of finding the GCD using recursion, what characteristic makes recursion particularly suitable?
In the process of finding the GCD using recursion, what characteristic makes recursion particularly suitable?
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What happens when a function is invoked in terms of the call stack?
What happens when a function is invoked in terms of the call stack?
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Which example illustrates the use of recursion in programming?
Which example illustrates the use of recursion in programming?
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What is the return value of factorial(0) in the recursive factorial calculation?
What is the return value of factorial(0) in the recursive factorial calculation?
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Study Notes
Module 3: Algorithmic Thinking with Python
- This module focuses on utilizing effective algorithms to solve formulated models and translating algorithms into executable Python programs.
- The syllabus covers selection and iteration using Python (if-else, elif, for loops, range, while loops).
- It also covers sequence data types in Python (list, tuple, set, strings, dictionary) and their use within arrays (using the NumPy library).
- Problem decomposition and modularization techniques are explored, including function definition, functions with multiple return values, and recursion.
Selection and Iteration
- Python uses
if
,else
, andelif
statements for conditional execution. -
for
loops are used for iterating a fixed number of times or over a sequence. -
range()
function creates sequence of numbers; it starts at 0 by default , and increments by 1 by default. -
while
loops repeat an action as long as a condition is true. -
range(start, stop, step)
: Creates a sequence of numbers fromstart
up to but not includingstop
, incrementing bystep
.
Sequence Data Types in Python
- Lists are ordered, mutable collections of items. They can be changed after creation. They use square brackets
[]
. They allow duplicate elements and can contain items of different data types. - Tuples are ordered, immutable collections of items. Once created, tuples cannot be changed. They are defined using parentheses
()
. - Sets are unordered collections of unique elements. They cannot contain duplicate elements and are defined using curly braces
{}
. - Strings are immutable sequences of characters contained within single or double quotes.
string
is itself a type. - Dictionaries are unordered collections of key-value pairs. Keys must be unique and immutable; values can be of any type. They are defined using
{}
.
Decomposition and Modularization
- Decomposition breaks down a complex problem into smaller, manageable parts.
- Modularization groups these smaller parts into separate, self-contained units (modules or functions), improving code organization and reusability.
Functions in Python
- Functions are reusable blocks of code for specific tasks.
- Functions can take input (arguments), process data, and return output.
- Writing a function involves defining the function and providing a body (steps) within the function to execute.
- Using a function (function call) provides input for the function and accesses the result the function can return.
- Functions can be coded without arguments or return value, or they may specify those.
- The
def
keyword introduces a function definition.
Recursion
- A function that calls itself during its execution is considered a recursive function.
- Recursion needs a base case (a simple version for when to stop calling itself) and a recursive case (how to break down the problem to reach the base case).
- This is typically used when a problem can be broken into identical subproblems.
- Recursive functions execute in the specific flow of the "call stack" to manage the execution.
Advantages of Recursion
- Simplicity: Can simplify some problems.
- Readability: Can make some code more readable.
- Natural fit for problems whose solution uses similar smaller instances of the same problem.
Disadvantages of Recursion
- Can be inefficient: Recursive calls may add overhead.
- Potential for stack overflow: If there are too many recursive calls, the call stack can run out of memory.
Homework
- Common tasks involving calculations in Python may involve finding the average, sums of numbers, and factorials.
Other key concepts
- Python supports a range of data types for storing and manipulating data.
- Modularizing and decomposing code can improve software development processes.
- Recursion is a powerful programming paradigm with certain use cases and advantages.
- Understanding function arguments and return values is essential in Python programming, including functional programming principles.
- The call stack manages function calls and their respective execution context.
- The concept of avoiding "circularity" in recursive functions.
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Description
This quiz delves into Algorithmic Thinking using Python, focusing on selection and iteration constructs. It covers essential programming concepts such as conditional statements, loops, and sequence data types, which are fundamental for developing efficient algorithms. The module emphasizes practical application through problem decomposition and modularization techniques.