VIC Selective Entry flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Working backwards
- A problem-solving strategy that starts from the stated end result and reverses each operation in reverse order to recover the unknown starting value.
- Invariant
- A property or quantity that remains unchanged by every permitted operation. If the start and goal differ on it, the task cannot be completed.
- Pigeonhole principle
- If more items than containers are distributed, at least one container must receive two or more items. Used to prove a repetition must exist.
- Parity argument
- Reasoning based on whether numbers are odd or even. A move changing a total by an even amount preserves its parity, proving certain outcomes impossible.
- Extremal principle
- Analysing the largest, smallest, first, or last case in a problem, because the extreme case often forces the structure of every valid solution.
- Combined work rate
- When workers act together their rates add. Work equals rate multiplied by time, so combined time is total work divided by the sum of rates.
- Validity versus truth
- An argument is valid when no situation makes all premises true and the conclusion false. Validity concerns logical form, independent of whether premises are actually true.
- Contrapositive
- The statement 'if not Q then not P' is logically equivalent to 'if P then Q'. The converse, 'if Q then P', is not equivalent.
- Necessary condition
- A condition that must hold for an outcome to occur. Without it the outcome is impossible, though it alone may not guarantee the outcome.
- Sufficient condition
- A condition whose presence guarantees the outcome. It may not be the only route to that outcome, so it need not be necessary.
- Syllogism chaining
- Combining 'all A are B' with 'all B are C' yields 'all A are C'. Chaining only works when the shared term links in the stated direction.
- Negating a quantifier
- 'Not all A are B' means at least one A is not B. 'No A is B' is the negation of 'some A is B'.
- Analogy relation mapping
- Solving analogy items by identifying the precise link between the pair, such as part-to-whole or cause-to-effect, rather than matching topic content.
- Falsification test
- A hypothesis is supported only by evidence that could have contradicted it. Seek the observation most likely to prove the rule wrong.
- Divergent then convergent
- Generating many candidate ideas without evaluation first, then screening them against fixed criteria such as cost, feasibility, and time.
- SCAMPER prompts
- A set of idea triggers: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse. Each forces a different transformation of an existing design.
- Deferred judgement
- Postponing evaluation until idea generation is complete. Separating generation from criticism increases both the number and variety of ideas produced.
- Inversion technique
- Asking how to guarantee failure, then designing against each listed cause. This surfaces solutions that direct forward thinking overlooks.
- Remote association
- Combining concepts from distant or unrelated categories tends to produce more original ideas than combining concepts already closely related.
- Creative originality test
- An idea qualifies as creative only when it is both novel relative to the brief and genuinely workable under the stated constraints.
- Main idea versus detail
- A correct main idea must cover the whole passage. A statement true of only one sentence is a supporting detail and too narrow.
- Valid inference
- A conclusion forced by the text. A plausible fact from outside the passage, however true, is not an inference from it.
- Quantifier scope
- Words such as all, most, some, and none set the exact strength of a claim. An answer must match the passage's quantifier, not exaggerate it.
- Cause versus correlation
- A text supports causation only when it states a mechanism or a controlled comparison. Mere co-occurrence of two events supports correlation alone.
- Author versus quoted view
- Distinguishing the writer's own position from opinions merely reported or criticised within the passage, which the author may not endorse.
- Pronoun resolution
- Identifying what words like it, this, or they refer to by finding the nearest grammatically consistent earlier noun phrase before judging a claim.
- Concessive marker
- Words such as although or admittedly introduce a qualification. The author often acknowledges it and then limits or rejects its force.
- Concept transfer
- Applying a known principle to a new situation only after confirming that the situation satisfies the principle's underlying conditions.
- Square-cube scaling
- When an object scales up, length grows linearly, surface area as the square, and volume as the cube. Doubling size quadruples area and octuples volume.
- Feedback loops
- Negative feedback counteracts change and stabilises a system near a set point. Positive feedback amplifies change and drives the system away from it.
- Opportunity cost
- The value of the best alternative given up when a choice is made. It is the real cost of deciding, not the money actually spent.
- Marginal reasoning
- Deciding by comparing the extra benefit of one more unit against its extra cost, rather than comparing total benefits with total costs.