Abstraction

Question	Answer
Abstraction is essentially filtering out the characteristics that we don't need in order to concentrate on something we need to do. It is also the filtering out of specific details. From this we create a representation (idea) of what we are trying to solve. If we don’t abstract we may end up with the wrong solution to the problem we are trying to solve.	Abstraction allows us to create a general idea of what the problem is and how to solve it. The process instructs us to remove all specific detail, and any patterns that will not help us solve our problem. This helps us form our idea of the problem. This idea is known as a ‘model’
A model is a general idea of the problem we are trying to solve. For example, a model cat would be any cat. Not a specific cat with a long tail and short fur - the model represents all cats. From our model of cats, we can learn what any cat looks like, using the patterns all cats share.	Patterns and similarities can be found between different types of cat. All cats have tails, eyes and fur but the characteristics of each can vary from cat to cat. Once we have a model of our problem, we can then design an algorithm to solve it.

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	Created by l.hampton almost 9 years ago