How to abstract
- a cake needs ingredients
- each ingredient needs a specified quantity
- a cake needs timings
When abstracting, we remove specific details and keep the general relevant patterns.
| General patterns | Specific details |
|---|---|
| We need to know that a cake has ingredients | We don’t need to know what those ingredients are |
| We need to know that each ingredient has a specified quantity | We don’t need to know what that quantity is |
| We need to know that each cake needs a specified time to bake | We don’t need to know how long the time is |
Creating a model
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.
Similarly, when baking a cake, a model cake wouldn’t be a specific cake, like a sponge cake or a fruit cake. Instead, the model would represent all cakes. From this model we can learn how to bake any cake, using the patterns that apply to all cakes.
Once we have a model of our problem, we can then design an algorithm to solve it.
