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Questions and Answers
What key concept did Alan Turing introduce in 1936?
What key concept did Alan Turing introduce in 1936?
- The idea of sequential execution of instructions
- The concept of data processors
- The universal computational device (correct)
- The stored program computer architecture
In the context of the Turing model, how is a computer defined?
In the context of the Turing model, how is a computer defined?
- A system that stores and retrieves information
- A device that processes data (correct)
- A machine that executes instructions sequentially
- A tool for performing mathematical calculations
What critical element does the Turing model add to a specific computing machine?
What critical element does the Turing model add to a specific computing machine?
- Hardware
- A user interface
- A network connection
- A program (correct)
What is a defining characteristic of a 'universal' Turing machine?
What is a defining characteristic of a 'universal' Turing machine?
What was John von Neumann's key proposal regarding programs and data?
What was John von Neumann's key proposal regarding programs and data?
Which of the following is NOT one of the four subsystems as defined by the von Neumann model?
Which of the following is NOT one of the four subsystems as defined by the von Neumann model?
What is the significance of the 'stored program concept' in the von Neumann model?
What is the significance of the 'stored program concept' in the von Neumann model?
In the von Neumann architecture, how are instructions typically executed?
In the von Neumann architecture, how are instructions typically executed?
Which of the following components is NOT considered one of the three main components of a computer?
Which of the following components is NOT considered one of the three main components of a computer?
Before the concept of storing programs in memory, how were early computers programmed?
Before the concept of storing programs in memory, how were early computers programmed?
What is the role of the control unit in the von Neumann model?
What is the role of the control unit in the von Neumann model?
According to the von Neumann model, if a program needs to jump to a different instruction, is the sequential execution interrupted?
According to the von Neumann model, if a program needs to jump to a different instruction, is the sequential execution interrupted?
How do 'data processors' relate to the concept of computers?
How do 'data processors' relate to the concept of computers?
What is the key difference that distinguishes the Turing Model from simpler computational models?
What is the key difference that distinguishes the Turing Model from simpler computational models?
Which statement accurately reflects the relationship between the Turing machine and what modern computers can compute?
Which statement accurately reflects the relationship between the Turing machine and what modern computers can compute?
What is the most accurate description of how programs and data are formatted in a von Neumann architecture?
What is the most accurate description of how programs and data are formatted in a von Neumann architecture?
In a computer based on the von Neumann model, what happens during the 'instruction cycle'?
In a computer based on the von Neumann model, what happens during the 'instruction cycle'?
Which of these activities would best represent the kind of 'programming' that was done on computers prior to the concept of stored programs?
Which of these activities would best represent the kind of 'programming' that was done on computers prior to the concept of stored programs?
A computer executes a program to process data. According to the material, what must be provided to a universal Turing machine to achieve the same result?
A computer executes a program to process data. According to the material, what must be provided to a universal Turing machine to achieve the same result?
Modern computers often execute programs in an order that optimizes efficiency. How does this compare to the initial requirement in the von Neumann model?
Modern computers often execute programs in an order that optimizes efficiency. How does this compare to the initial requirement in the von Neumann model?
In a hypothetical scenario, a computer is designed such that altering its hardware configuration is the primary method of programming. Which computing era does this align with?
In a hypothetical scenario, a computer is designed such that altering its hardware configuration is the primary method of programming. Which computing era does this align with?
A new type of memory is developed that can only store instructions, not data. How well would this memory integrate into a von Neumann architecture?
A new type of memory is developed that can only store instructions, not data. How well would this memory integrate into a von Neumann architecture?
Imagine a computing device whose functionality can be entirely redefined by simply loading new software. However, this software first has to be converted into an entirely new hardware configuration each time. Which concept is this machine missing for it to be considered a modern computer?
Imagine a computing device whose functionality can be entirely redefined by simply loading new software. However, this software first has to be converted into an entirely new hardware configuration each time. Which concept is this machine missing for it to be considered a modern computer?
A computer scientist discovers that all calculations ever conceived could be performed by a specific arrangement of marbles rolling down a series of ramps, levers, and pulleys. If this arrangement is fixed, and only the initial configuration of marbles changes, which concept is this marble computer missing to be considered a ‘Universal Data Processor’?
A computer scientist discovers that all calculations ever conceived could be performed by a specific arrangement of marbles rolling down a series of ramps, levers, and pulleys. If this arrangement is fixed, and only the initial configuration of marbles changes, which concept is this marble computer missing to be considered a ‘Universal Data Processor’?
Flashcards
What is the Turing Model?
What is the Turing Model?
Proposed by Alan Turing in 1936, it describes a universal computational device.
What is a data processor?
What is a data processor?
A computer can be defined as a data processor that accepts input, processes it, and generates output.
What is a program?
What is a program?
An element added to Turing model, that uses a program for a general-purpose computer.
What is a universal Turing machine?
What is a universal Turing machine?
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Who is John von Neumann?
Who is John von Neumann?
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What are the four subsystems of the von Neumann model?
What are the four subsystems of the von Neumann model?
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What is the stored program concept?
What is the stored program concept?
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What happens in an instruction cycle?
What happens in an instruction cycle?
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What are the three main components of a computer?
What are the three main components of a computer?
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What's included in computer Hardware?
What's included in computer Hardware?
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What is data in a computer?
What is data in a computer?
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Study Notes
- This chapter introduces the Turing model and the von Neumann model as ways of defining a computer, and describes the three components of a computer: hardware, data, and software.
Turing Model
- Alan Turing first described the idea of a universal computational device in 1936.
- Turing proposed that all computation could be performed by a special kind of machine.
- This machine is now called a Turing machine.
- The Turing model is based on the actions people perform when involved in computation.
- This model has been abstracted into a computational machine.
Data Processors
- A computer can be defined as a data processor.
- A computer acts as a black box that accepts input data.
- The computer processes data, and creates output data.
- In this model, a pocket calculator is considered a computer.
Programmable Data Processors
- The Turing model is a good model for a general-purpose computer
- The Turing model contains an extra element called the program
- A program is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do with data
Universal Turing Machine
- A universal Turing machine is a machine that can do any computation if the correct program is provided.
- The universal Turing machine was the first description of a modern computer.
- A universal Turing machine and a very powerful computer can compute the same thing.
- Both would need the data and the program to be able to compute.
- A universal Turing machine can compute anything computable.
Von Neumann Model
- Computers built on the Turing universal machine store data in their memory.
- In 1944-1945, John von Neumann proposed that programs should also be stored in a computer's memory, as programs and data are logically the same.
Four Subsystems
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The four subsystems that the von Neumann model divides the computers hardware into are: m
- The central components of a computer system include the memory, which stores data and instructions; the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), responsible for performing mathematical calculations and logical operations; the control unit, which directs the operation of the processor and coordinates activities; and the input/output systems, facilitating communication between the computer and external devices.
Stored Program Concept
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The von Neumann model states that programs must be stored in memory.
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Early computers only stored data in memory which is different to what the von Neumann model suggests.
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Modern computers store both programs and data in memory.
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Data and programs should both have same format because they are stored in memory
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They are stored as binary patterns in memory, which is a sequence of Os and 1s.
Sequential Execution of Instructions
- A program in the von Neumann model is made of a finite number of instructions.
- The control unit fetches one instruction from memory
- The control unit decodes it, then executes the instruction (instruction cycle).
- Instructions are executed one after another.
- One instruction may request the control unit to jump to some previous or following instruction, however the instructions are still executed sequentially.
- The initial requirement of a computer was sequential execution of a program with the von Neumann model, but new computers execute programs in the order that is most efficient.
Computer Components
- A computer has three components: computer hardware, data, and computer software.
Computer Hardware
- Contemporary computer hardware based on the von Neumann model has input/output, memory, arithmetic logic unit (ALU),control unit.
Data
- The von Neumann model defines a computer as a data processing machine.
- The computer accepts the input data, processes the data, and outputs the result.
Computer Software
- The concept of the program is the primary feature of the Turing or von Neumann models.
- Early computers used the concept of programs without storing the program in the computer's memory.
- Programming those early computers involved changing the wiring systems or turning a set of switches on or off (1, 0).
- The operator or engineer would program the computer before actual data processing began.
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