Summary: Here is a list of 6 terms you should learn when getting into computer science. This list was recommended by several of my colleagues in the computer science field.

Main article: Game Development Undergrad - New Beginnings

6 Terms to Learn when Entering Computer Science

Stack

Stack is an abstract data type that uses a LIFO (last-in-first-out) procedure. Two primary functions of stack are the operations: push (store element) and pop (access element). These operations only occur on the top of stacks. Additional functions include peeking at the top elements without modifying them, checking if the stack is full, and checking if the stack is empty.

Heap

Heap is a tree-based structured abstract data type that is highly efficient at representing priority queues and heap sort. Like most trees, it has the characteristic of ‘heapness’ where the topmost node is the root node and all following nodes split downwards. Heap data structures follow a consistent constraint, heap property, such as Max Heap where all parent nodes are greater or equal than the child nodes and Min Heap where all parent nodes are lesser or equal than the child nodes.

Kernel

The Kernel acts as a communicator between applications and hardware. It is loaded in the beginning of the boot sequence and remains running in the background thereafter. It is coded into protected memory where it is unable to be overwritten and a key component of an operating system. It manages resources and does system checks for the processor, GPU, and memory.

OSI Model

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is an conceptual framework that describes functions involved in communication such as networks or telecommunications regardless of hardware. There are 7 distinct layers with each layer only serving the layer directly above or below it. They are in a specific order, starting with the physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer, and application layer.

Heuristic

Heuristic in computer science refers to the method of finding a good enough solution that can be adapted in an adequate amount of time compared to its rate of expiration for a problem.

Compiler

A program that converts higher-level languages into the machine language for the processor to read. After the compilation is ran, four things are accomplished: scanning, lexical analyzing, syntactic analysis, and semantic analysis.

Afterthoughts

I researched these terms from suggestions of fellow computer science colleagues and defined them in my own words. I then checked with my colleagues to ensure my definition was a correct overview of the terms. These definitions provide a simple overview of the term, but I suggest taking into your own hands to delve deeper into these terms as they can be more complex than what I described.

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