DECOMPOSITION

It’s the process of identifying a problem and breaking it up into smaller parts which are easier to manage. A practical example: in order to get to the nearest toilet from your classroom, you must go through different stages, such as get up from your chair, walk towards the door, open the door, turn right or left, among others.
The decomposition takes place when you break a major task (go to the toilet) into
a lot of smaller ones.

PATTERNS RECOGNITION

It’s the process of identifying specific characteristics that different problems have in common, based on previous experiences, and use these shared characteristics to find a solution to a problem. A practical example: no matter where in the school you need to go, you must get up from your chair and go through the door to get there.

It's being able to ignore irrelevant details to focus on what is really important in a specific situation. A practical example: on the way to the toilet, there are a lot of other classrooms, different floor materials, walls painted in various colours and a garden. All this information is irrelevant to achieving the goal (getting to the toilet). So, we have to focus on the essential information (the way to the toilet) and ignore all the other elements, which might distract us.

As we have seen, an algorithm is nothing but a sequence of instructions that lead to the solution of a problem or to the execution of an action. Algorithms must be specific and objective. A practical example:

Instructions to get to the toilet:
1. get up from your chair;
2. leave through the classroom door;
3. go along the corridor until you arrive at the toilet;
4. go into the toilet.

Right? You will manage to get to the toilet only
if you follow (at least) four steps. By creating a
sequence of instructions, we are also creating
an algorithm.

It’s your turn now! Create an algorithm that contains the instructions to go from your desk to the nearest toilet. Follow the previous example.

Challenge 1
Choose the set of arrows that illustrates what movements Rich has to make in order to get to the key.

Challenge 1 solved
Choose the set of arrows that illustrates what movements Rich has to make in order to get to the key.

Challenge 2
Choose the set of arrows that illustrates what movements Rich has to make in order to get to the watermelon.

Challenge 2 solved
Choose the set of arrows that illustrates what movements Rich has to make in order to get to the watermelon.

Challenge 3
Choose the set of arrows that illustrates what movements Rich has to make in order to get to the ball. Attention: you have to avoid the other student!

Challenge 3 solved
Choose the set of arrows that illustrates what movements Rich has to make in order to get to the ball. Attention: you have to avoid the other student!