Decomposition
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 6.3.1
Decomposition
Decomposition is a key concept in computer science, which helps us to solve problems.
Decomposition
- Decomposition means breaking a complex problem into smaller, more manageable sub-problems.
- Each smaller part can then be solved individually, before all the sub-solutions are combined to solve the original problem.
Advantage of decomposition
- Decomposition allows large teams to each take a part of a problem and work on it.
- Decomposition allows seemingly impossible problems to be solved by splitting them into simple tasks.
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Structure charts
- Structure charts are used to visually represent breaking a large problem down into the smaller parts that make it up.
- Each box represents a smaller problem to be solved.
- Lines show which bigger problem the box is a part of.
Test yourself on Decomposition
What does each box represent on a decomposition structure chart?