Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Computers

CH6

Predictive Modeling Techniques

61) Predictive modeling is perhaps the most commonly practiced branch in data mining. What are three of the most popular predictive modeling techniques?

Answer:

• Artificial neural networks
• Support vector machines
• k-nearest neighbor

62) Why have neural networks shown much promise in many forecasting and business classification applications?

Answer: Because of their ability to "learn" from the data, their nonparametric nature (i.e., no rigid assumptions), and their ability to generalize.

Understanding Neural Networks

63) Each ANN is composed of a collection of neurons that are grouped into layers. One of these layers is the hidden layer. Define the hidden layer.

Answer: A hidden layer is a layer of neurons that takes input... Continue reading "Predictive Modeling Techniques in Data Mining" »

Chapter 1: Foundations of Object-Oriented Programming

Data Encapsulation with Classes

The starting point of object-oriented programming is to provide a more faithful implementation of the notion of “type” in programming. The programming languages we are familiar with come with standard built-in types that we can assign to variables and values:

Built-in Programming Types

• In C, we can use int, float, double, char, etc.
• In Haskell, similarly, we can use Int, Float, Char, Bool, etc.

In addition, programming languages provide a way to assign a single name to a collection of values of the same type. The nature of this collection is determined by the underlying architecture assumed by the programming language.

Collections and Data Structures

Arrays in

Operations on a Process

1. Process Creation: A user request or an already running process can create new processes. A parent process creates child processes using a system call, which, in turn, can create other processes, forming a tree of processes.
2. Process Pre-emption: A process is pre-empted if an I/O event or timeout occurs. The process then moves from the running state to the ready state, and the CPU loads another process from the ready state to the running state, if available.
3. Process Blocking: When a process requires an I/O event during its execution, it moves from the running state to the waiting state, and the CPU dispatches another process.
4. Process Termination: A process is terminated when it completes its execution. Additionally, events

Space Complexity

• Analysis of the space complexity of an algorithm or program is the amount of memory it needs to run to completion.
• The space needed by a program consists of the following components:
• Fixed space requirements: Independent of the number and size of the program's input and output. It includes:

• Instruction Space (Space needed to store the code)
• Space for simple variables
• Space for constants

• Variable space requirements: This component consists of:

• Space needed by structured variables whose size depends on the particular instance I of the problem being solved
• Space required when a function uses recursion

Total Space Complexity

S(P) of a program is:

S(P) = C + S_p(I)

Here S_p(I) is the variable space requirements of program P working on an instance... Continue reading "Algorithm Analysis: Time and Space Complexity" »

E-Voting

Considerations

• Voter ID
• Candidate ID and Voter ID
• Representing information in text format
• Secure section for additional fields
• Providing a set number of options to reduce data input errors

Data Collection Methods

Questionnaires

Advantages: Less labor-intensive than interviews.

Disadvantages: Poorly designed questions (e.g., overuse or lack of closed questions) can lead to misunderstandings.

Interviews

Advantages: Provide more detailed information than questionnaires; allow for face-to-face interaction.

Disadvantages: Time-consuming; require skilled interviewers.

BYOD at Xingu Academy

Technical Aspects

• MAC address and IP address management
• Voice recognition software: Converts analog speech to digital sound, then to text using a sound database. Matches

Java Generics: Methods and Classes

Java Generics enable programmers to specify, with a single method declaration, a set of related methods, or with a single class declaration, a set of related types, respectively. Generics also provide compile-time type safety, which allows programmers to catch invalid types at compile time, preventing runtime errors.

Generics Example: ArrayList

Consider the following example demonstrating generics with an ArrayList:

1. import java.util.*;
2. class TestGenerics1 {
3.   public static void main(String args[]) {
4.     ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
5.     list.add("rahul");
6.     list.add("jai");
7.     // list.add(32); // compile-time error if uncommented
8.     String s = list.get(

Data Items in a Digital Certificate

• Serial Number
• Certificate Authority (CA) that issued the certificate
• CA Digital Signature
• Name of company/organization/individual owning the certificate
• Subject Public Key
• Validity Period of the certificate
• Hashing Algorithm

Conditions for Message Authenticity

• Digital Certificate
• Inclusion of Public Key
• Use of Public Key to hash the received message and produce a message digest
• Comparison of the generated hash to the digital signature

Usage of Encrypted Message Digest

• Financial Transactions
• Legal Documents
• Software Distribution

Process of Digital Signature

1. Software is put through a hashing algorithm.
2. The hash total is encrypted with a private key.
3. The software and encrypted digest hash/digital signature are sent.
4. The receiver

Understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Crawling and Indexing

Web crawlers, also known as bots, robots, or spiders, are software programs designed to follow links, gather information, and send it back to search engines for indexing. This process allows search engines to understand the content and structure of websites.

Evolution of Google Search Algorithms

Over the years, Google has implemented various algorithm updates to improve search results and combat spam. Some notable updates include:

• Google Dance (2002): Click-through rates started influencing search rankings.
• Austin (2004): Targeted websites with keyword stuffing.
• Google Suggest (2008) & Google Instant (2010): Introduced predictive search based on search history.
• Hummingbird (2013)

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Definition of Software Configuration Management

Software Configuration Management (SCM) is a set of management disciplines within a software engineering process used to develop a baseline. SCM encompasses the disciplines and techniques of initiating, evaluating, and controlling change to software products during development and maintenance.

Administering SCM

Administering Software Configuration Management is a crucial project function with the goal of making technical and managerial activities more effective. SCM can be administered in several ways:

• Organization-wide: A single SCM team manages configuration for the whole organization.
• Project-specific: A separate configuration management team is established