TU BSc CSIT Entrance key terms

A finite, ordered set of unambiguous steps that transforms input into output and terminates. It must be effective, definite, and produce a correct result for valid inputs.

A diagram using standard symbols-ovals for start and end, parallelograms for input and output, rectangles for processes, diamonds for decisions-to show the sequence of steps in solving a problem.

A structured, English-like notation for expressing an algorithm using keywords such as IF, WHILE, and READ, without the strict syntax of any real programming language.

A measure of how the running time of an algorithm grows with input size, usually expressed in Big-O notation that keeps only the dominant term and ignores constants.

A notation describing an asymptotic upper bound on a function's growth rate, written O(f(n)), used to classify algorithms by worst-case growth such as O(n log n) or O(n²).

The total memory an algorithm needs to run, counting both fixed storage for variables and dynamic storage that grows with input size, such as arrays or recursion stacks.

A technique where a function calls itself on a smaller version of the same problem, requiring a base case that stops the calls and a recursive case that reduces the input.

A linear data structure following last-in-first-out order, where insertion (push) and deletion (pop) both occur at one end called the top.

A linear data structure following first-in-first-out order, where elements are inserted at the rear and removed from the front, as in a line of customers.

A linear collection of nodes, each holding data and a pointer to the next node, allowing efficient insertion and deletion without shifting elements as arrays require.

A binary tree in which every node's left subtree holds smaller keys and its right subtree holds larger keys, enabling search, insert, and delete in O(log n) time when balanced.

A systematic method of visiting every node of a tree. Preorder visits root then subtrees, inorder visits left, root, right, and postorder visits subtrees then root.

A database model representing data as tables (relations) of rows and columns, with keys linking tables and operations drawn from relational algebra such as select, project, and join.

A column or minimal set of columns whose values uniquely identify each row in a table; it must be unique and cannot contain null values.

A column or set of columns in one table whose values must match a primary key value in another table, enforcing referential integrity between related records.

The process of organizing tables to reduce redundancy and update anomalies by applying normal forms, starting with removing repeating groups and partial dependencies.

Structured Query Language, the standard language for defining, querying, and modifying relational databases, including SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and JOIN statements.

System software that manages hardware resources, schedules processes, allocates memory, handles files and devices, and provides services so application programs can run safely.

A program in execution, comprising code, data, a program counter, registers, and a stack; it is the unit of resource ownership in an operating system.

A state where two or more processes wait indefinitely because each holds a resource the other needs; the four necessary conditions are mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait.

A technique giving programs an address space larger than physical RAM by keeping some pages on disk and swapping them into memory when needed, using page tables for translation.

A numerical label assigned to a device on a network, such as a 32-bit IPv4 address or a 128-bit IPv6 address, used for routing packets between hosts.

A bit pattern that separates the network portion of an IP address from the host portion, allowing a large network to be divided into smaller logical subnets.

An agreed set of rules governing how data is formatted, addressed, transmitted, and acknowledged between devices, such as TCP, UDP, HTTP, and IP.

A base-2 positional number system using only digits 0 and 1, where each position represents a power of two; fundamental to digital logic and computer storage.

A signed binary representation where the negative of a number is formed by inverting all bits and adding one, allowing subtraction to be performed with the same adder circuit as addition.

An algebra of two values, true and false, with operators AND, OR, and NOT, governed by identities such as De Morgan's laws; it underlies digital circuit design.

A physical or abstract device performing a Boolean operation on one or more binary inputs to produce an output, with basic types AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR.

A translator that reads an entire source program, checks it, and produces target machine code or intermediate code before execution, reporting errors for the whole program.

A language processor that translates and executes a program one statement at a time, stopping at the first error encountered and producing no separate object file.

A program that converts assembly language, which uses mnemonic instructions and symbolic addresses, into machine code object files.

A small, fast memory placed between the CPU and main memory that holds recently used data and instructions to reduce average access time.

A disciplined approach to developing software using methods such as requirement analysis, design, coding, testing, and maintenance, often organized into lifecycle models.

The Systems Development Life Cycle, a phased framework covering planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance of a software system.

The process of executing software to find defects, using strategies such as unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing, and techniques such as black-box and white-box testing.

A well-defined collection of distinct objects, with operations including union, intersection, difference, and complement, and properties such as commutativity and distributivity.

A relation that maps each element of a domain to exactly one element of a codomain; types include injective (one-to-one), surjective (onto), and bijective.

A rectangular array of numbers arranged in rows and columns, supporting operations such as addition, multiplication, transpose, and determinant, and used to solve linear systems.