LITE Matters

AN INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL IN MST 101D* [LIVING IN

THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ERA]

DEO STEPHANIE R. ANGELES

Engr. MICHAEL R. BALAGTAS
CHRISTIAN A. CARACTA
AGAPE A. EUSEBIO
ARCEL F. GALVEZ
AUBREY ROSE T. GAN
ROSALIE S. VILLAFUERTE
AUTHORS

SECOND EDITION
2021
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CHAPTER ONE
DURATION
3 HOURS

LESSON OBJECTIVES

At the end of the chapter, the students are expected to:

1. define computer hardware and computer software.

2. distinguish the difference between computer hardware and software.
3. know the different kinds of computer software.
4. distinguish the use and difference between system software and application
software.
5. define the algorithm.
6. know the use of algorithm.
7. understand how computer connects to one another.
8. know how the internet evolve as time goes by.
9. recognize the different applications of internet in our daily lives.

TOPICS

1. Computer Hardware
2. Computer Software
3. Computer Algorithms
4. Computer Networks and the Internet
5. Internet Applications

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LESSON 1.1

COMPUTER HARDWARE

What makes a computer function? By definition, a computer is an electronic device

that manipulates information or data. It has the capacity to store, retrieve and
process data. It contains both hardware and software applications. A Computer has
different components: Hardware (Input and Output Devices), and System Unit.

A Hardware is described as any physical component of a computer system

that contains a circuit board, Integrated Circuits (ICs), or other electronics. Without
any hardware, your computer would not function, and software could not be used. A
computer’s hardware is divided into two different components: Input devices and
Output devices.

1. Input Devices - is a piece of hardware that sends data to a computer. Most

input devices either interact with or control the computer in some way. An
input device sends data to the computer.

EXAMPLES:

Keyboard

MOUSE

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TOUCH PAD

SCANNER

DIGITAL
CAMERA

MICROPHONE

JOYSTICK

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GRAPHIC
TABLET

WEBCAM

2. Output Devices - An output device is a piece of computer hardware that

receives data from a computer and then translates that data into another form.
That form may be audio, visual, textual, or hard copy such as a printed
document. An Output device receives data from the computer.

MONITOR

PRINTER

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HEADPHONES/
EARPHONES/
SPEAKERS

PROJECTOR

3. SYSTEM UNIT - the system unit, also known as a "tower" or "chassis," is the
main part of a desktop computer. It includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM,
and other components. The system unit also includes the case that houses
the internal components of the computer. Some modern computers, such as
the iMac, combine the system unit and monitor into a single device. In this
case, the monitor is part of the system unit. While laptops also have built-in
displays, they are not called system units, since the term only refers to
desktop computers.

SYSTEM UNIT

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LESSON 1.2

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

https://www.goodcore.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/types-of-software.png

Software gives instructions and command to a computer. Software comprises the

entire set of programs, procedures, and routines associated with the operation of a
computer system. The term was coined to differentiate these instructions from
hardware—i.e., the physical components of a computer system. A set of instructions
that directs a computer’s hardware to perform a task is called a program, or software
program.

2 MAIN TYPES OF SOFTWARE

• Application Software - is a computer software package that performs a

specific function directly for an end user or, in some cases, for another
application. An application can be self-contained or a group of programs. The
program is a set of operations that runs the application for the user.

Examples of applications include word processors, database programs, web

browsers, development tools, image editors and communication platforms.
Applications use the computer's operating system (OS) and other supporting
programs, typically system software, to function. An application requests
services from and communicates with other technologies via an application
programming interface (API).

• System software- is a type of computer program that is designed to run a

computer's hardware and application programs. If we think of the computer
system as a layered model, the system software is the interface between the
hardware and user applications. The operating system is the best-known

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example of system software. The OS manages all the other programs in a

computer. System software is used to manage the computer itself. It runs in
the background, maintaining the computer's basic functions so users can run
higher-level application software to perform certain tasks. Essentially, system
software provides a platform for application software to be run on top of.
Difference between System Software and Application Software
System Software Application Software
The user makes use of application
We make use of system software for
software to perform some specific
operating hardware on the computer.
task.
When the operating system is installed on We install the application software
the computer, then the system software is according to the requirement of the
also mounted on the machine. user.
System software works in the background. Generally, the user interacts with the
So the user is not able to interact with it. application software.
It can run independently as it provides the It can’t run independently because it
platform for the running application is not able to run without the
softwares. presence of system software.
Example: compiler, assembler, interpreter Example: word processor, web
etc.. browser, media player etc.

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LESSON 1.3

COMPUTER ALGORITHMS
INTRODUCTION
To visualize the concept of algorithms, let's put it into a specific context. Let us
consider the problem of preparing an omelet. In preparing an omelet, we follow the
steps given below:

1) Get the frying pan.

2) Get the oil.
a. Do we have oil?
i. If yes, put it in the pan.
ii. If no, do we want to buy oil?
1. If yes, then go out and buy.
2. If no, we can terminate.
3) Turn on the stove, etc...
We are doing is, for a given problem (preparing an omelet), we are providing a
step-by-step procedure for solving it.

The word algorithm comes from the name of a Persian author, Abu Ja'far
Mohammed ibn Musa al Khowarizmi (c. 825 A.O.), who wrote a textbook on
mathematics. An examination of the latest edition of Webster's dictionary defines its
meaning as "any special method of solving a certain kind of problem." But this word
has taken on a special significance in computer science. The algorithm has come to
refer to a precise method useable by a computer to solve a problem. This is what
makes an algorithm different from words such as process, technique, or practice.
(Horowirtz, Sahni, 1978).

Defining an Algorithm

Informally, an algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that

takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or set of
values, as output. An algorithm is thus a sequence of computational steps that
transform the input into the output.

We can also view an algorithm as a tool for solving a well-specified

computational problem. The statement of the problem specifies in general terms the
desired input/output relationship. The algorithm describes a specific computational
procedure for achieving that input/output relationship.

An algorithm can also be defined as the unambiguous step-by-step

instructions to solve a given problem on a formal note. In the formal study of
algorithms, there are two main criteria for judging the merits of algorithms:

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correctness (does the algorithm give a solution to the problem in a finite number of
steps?) and efficiency (how much resources (in terms of memory and time) does it
take to execute the).

For example, we might need to sort a sequence of numbers into

nondecreasing order. This problem frequently arises in practice and provides fertile
ground for introducing many standard design techniques and analysis tools. Putting
this concept into context, given the input sequence: {31; 41; 59; 26; 41; 58}, a sorting
algorithm returns as output the sequence {26; 31; 41; 41; 58; 59}. Such an input
sequence is called an instance of the sorting problem. In general, an instance of a
problem consists of the input (satisfying whatever constraints are imposed in the
problem statement) to compute a solution to the problem.

Because many programs use it as an intermediate step, sorting is a

fundamental operation in computer science. As a result, we have a large number of
good sorting algorithms at our disposal. Which algorithm is best for a given
application depends on—among other factors—the number of items to be sorted, the
extent to which the items are already somewhat sorted, possible restrictions on the
item values, the architecture of the computer, and the kind of storage devices to be
used: main memory, disks, or even tapes.

An algorithm is said to be correct if, for every input instance, it halts with the
correct output. We say that a correct algorithm solves the given computational
problem. An incorrect algorithm might not halt at all on some input instances, or it
might stop with a wrong answer. Contrary to what you might expect, faulty algorithms
can sometimes be helpful, if we can control their error rate. Ordinarily, however, we
shall be concerned only with correct algorithms.

An algorithm can be specified in English, as a computer program, or even a

hardware design. The only requirement is that the specification must provide an
accurate description of the computational procedure to be followed.

Analysis of Algorithms

In terms of going places, e.g. from location A to location B, there can be many
ways of accomplishing this: by flight, by bus, by train and also by bicycle. Depending
on the availability and convenience, we choose the one that suits us.

Similarly, multiple algorithms are available for solving the same problem (for
example, a sorting problem has many algorithms, like insertion sort, selection sort,
quick sort, and many more). Algorithm analysis helps us to determine which
algorithm is most efficient in terms of time and space consumed.

The goal of the analysis of algorithms is to compare algorithms (or solutions)

mainly in terms of running time and other factors (e.g., memory, developer effort,
etc.)

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Common Kinds of Problems Solved by Algorithms

Sorting is by no means the only computational problem for which algorithms have
been developed. Practical applications of algorithms are ubiquitous and include the
following examples:

• The Human Genome Project has made great progress toward identifying all
the 100,000 genes in human DNA, determining the sequences of the 3 billion
chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, storing this information in
databases, and developing data analysis tools. Each of these steps requires
sophisticated algorithms. Many methods to solve these biological problems
use several algorithms, thereby enabling scientists to accomplish tasks while
using resources efficiently. The savings are in time, both human and machine,
and in money, as more information can be extracted from laboratory
techniques.
• The Internet enables people all around the world to quickly access and
retrieve large amounts of information. With clever algorithms, sites on the
Internet can manage and manipulate this large volume of data. Examples of
problems that make essential use of algorithms include finding good routes on
which the data will travel and using a search engine to find pages on which
certain information resides quickly.
• Electronic commerce enables goods and services to be negotiated and
exchanged electronically, and it depends on the privacy of personal
information such as credit card numbers, passwords, and bank statements.
Electronic commerce's core technologies include public-key cryptography and
digital signatures, which are based on numerical algorithms and number
theory.
• Manufacturing and other commercial enterprises often need to allocate scarce
resources most beneficially. An oil company may wish to know where to place
its wells to maximize its expected profit. A political candidate may want to
determine where to spend money buying campaign advertising to maximize
the chances of winning an election. An airline may wish to assign crews to
flights in the least expensive way possible, ensure that each flight is covered
and that government regulations regarding crew schedules are met. An
Internet service provider may wish to determine where to place additional
resources to serve its customers more effectively. These are examples of
problems that can be solved using linear programming.

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