Computational thinking

Computational Thinking is a problem-solving technique, a process of thinking about what computer programmers go through when writing computer programs and algorithms.The term computational thinking was first used by Seymour Papert in 1980 and again in 1996.Computer thinking means that a person must have the thinking to operate a computer in order to operate a computer,Computational thinking can break down a complex problem into a simpler, more readable format that can be understood by both humans and computers.

There are typically four steps in computational thinking.The first step is decomposition, where a more complex problem or process is broken down into easily understood and manageable modules.The second step is pattern recognition, looking at a pattern in the data or process and using it to develop a plan and manage it.The third part is abstraction, understanding, analysing and identifying the factors that have influenced previous patterns and understanding the general principles that govern it.The fourth step is algorithmic thinking, developing an appropriate algorithm which solves the problem in an automated way

Computational thinking is an effective tool to help students and learners develop problem-solving strategies,Computational thinking it represents a collection of universally applicable attitudes and skills that everyone, not just computer scientists, can and aspire to learn and use(Wing, 2006).It enables me to better understand computer knowledge and how it works, reducing the difficulty of learning related programming and data knowledge in the future.
Computational thinking breaks down and abstracts a complex task through simplification, transformation and modelling, allowing us to better answer complex questions.Also, the use of computational thinking in combination with modern analytical techniques allows for better, realistic and quantifiable answers.(University of York, 2022)
At the same time,Computer science is a broad field of study and practice that includes a range of different computer-related disciplines, such as computing, automation, and information technology.

My future career may be in commercial work,Computational thinking provides new analytical methods to develop more effective products and help make better decisions. Using computational thinking to design, simulate and predict the behavior of customers and business markets under a variety of conditions.It could obtain more market profit and market share.

Computer Scientist

Alan Turing was a British mathematician and logician.Alan Turing, the father of computer science, made many contributions, both practical (deciphering codes during World War II) and theoretical (Turing machines). A pioneer in the world of computer science.

Turing set about to give a formal definition of what it means to be computable.(Strawn,2014),Alan Turing's paper "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem" In his paper, Turing describes a hypothetical computing machine, exploring its functionality and inherent limitations, thus establishing the basis for modern programming and computability.(Petzold, 2008)Computers were created to solve mathematical problems yet are based on mathematics. Turing though proved that no machine could solve all mathematical problems and that machines can do all the computational work that humans can do The work of Alan Turing, a British scientist, who drew a boundary for computers. This boundary is that computers can solve problems that can be computed in a finite number of steps and that clearly lead to results. With this boundary, computers moved from theoretical to practical.(Teuscher, 2013)

Turing left behind an ambitious idea of artificial intelligence,The tester is separated from the tested (a person and a machine) and the tester enters text through a device such as a computer keyboard. If more than 30% of the testers cannot determine whether the tested is a person or a machine, then the machine passes the Turing test and is considered to have artificial intelligence Theoretical work by Turing on computer problems and other problems such as artificial intelligence remains the basis for computing, artificial intelligence and modern cryptographic standards.(Peralta, 2022) Turing hopes that machines will eventually be able to compete with humans in all areas of pure intelligence.

Turing also introduced the concept of the Turing machine with, in 1936, an abstract model of computing that abstracts the process of mathematical operations performed by people using paper and pencil and replaces them with a virtual machine. A Turing machine operates in such a way that the program and its input can first be saved on a memory tape, and the Turing machine runs step by step through the program until it gives a result, also stored on the tape. This proved the theory of universal computing and confirmed the possibility of computer implementation; the Turing machine model also introduced the concepts of reading and writing and algorithms and programming languages, giving the main architecture of what a computer was supposed to be.

Reflection

Through my study of computer thinking,I have an initial understanding of the basic knowledge and skills required for computer studies and Computational Thinking enables me to use computational thinking to learn computer knowledge and skills. I will learn about the history of computer science and the lives and contributions of computer scientists. computational thinking can be useful in a variety of fields,Computer thinking is of value to both studies and the professions in which I work. I will be able to gain a better understanding of computer-related knowledge and will be able to understand the focus of computer knowledge more easily. I will also improve my deficiencies, gradually refine my logical thinking and approach my work and studies with a close mind and the right attitude.

The most important aspect of computational thinking is recursive thinking, which is a top-down, whole-then-local way of thinking. Next is partition thinking, which is based on the core principle of taking a very large problem, breaking it down into smaller computable sub-problems, and then combining the results of the sub-problems to obtain the final solution.Computational thinking breaks down and abstracts a complex task through simplification, transformation and modelling, allowing us to better answer complex questions.

By understanding and learning about computational thinking, it is driven by the fact that we have more computational resources at our disposal than ever before and that if we use these computational and learning resources effectively, we can not only achieve better results, but also broaden our horizons and learn new skills by enabling us to discover and invent new areas in our lives and learning.(Mohan, 2018) Computational thinking is often considered to be a skill that computer researchers must acquire in order to develop computer code. But this skill is not limited to the field of computing. The integration of computational thinking into different areas of business, medicine, etc. When I learn about programming and data in the future, I will try to break down writing a program into steps. The total task of writing a program is broken down into smaller, more manageable subtasks, step by step, which reduces the probability of errors and enables errors to be identified and corrected in time

Learn simple things first,Acquire as much basic knowledge as possible in order to learn relatively more complex knowledge.such as the front end, which is the front end of the website, before learning the back end, the architecture and the back end. In programming, first learn the more basic computer language, Python, java and other languages for beginners easier to understand, C++ and C# such object-oriented language and database knowledge is relatively complex, then in the mastery of the basic language and other computer learning. Computational thinking can find logical solutions to scientific problems to avoid making the same mistakes, and I can follow more scientific and logical steps to solve programming and data problems that may arise in the future based on computational thinking.

Reference

Mohan, V.S. (2018). Computational thinking - Exploring possibilities in business. [online] Accubits Blog. Available at: https://blog.accubits.com/computational-thinking-accubits-blog/[Accessed 24 Oct. 2022].

Peralta, R. (2022). Alan Turing’s Everlasting Contributions to Computing, AI and Cryptography. NIST. [online] Available at: https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/alan-turings-everlasting-contributions-computing-ai-and-cryptography [Accessed 22 Oct. 2022].

Popova, M. (2016). Alan Turing’s Little-Known Contributions to Biology and His Mesmerizing Hand-Drawn Diagrams of Dappling Patterns. [online] The Marginalian. Available at: https://www.themarginalian.org/2016/03/01/alan-turing-morphogenesis-diagrams/ [Accessed 24 Oct. 2022].

Petzold, C. (2008). The annotated Turing : a guided tour through Alan Turing’s historic paper on computability. Indianapolis, In: Wiley Pub.

Strawn, G. (2014). Alan Turing. [online] login.abc.cardiff.ac.uk. Available at: https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.abc.cardiff.ac.uk/document/6756869/references#references [Accessed 23 Oct. 2022].

Teuscher, C. (2013). Alan Turing: Life and Legacy of a Great Thinker. Springer Science & Business Media.

University of York. (2022). What is computational thinking? [online] Available at: https://online.york.ac.uk/what-is-computational-thinking/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2022].

Wing, J.M. (2006). Computational Thinking. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274309848_Computational_Thinking