Computer Science Diagnostic Quiz

Spring 2012
Herbert J. Bernstein ( )

CSC2281 Computer Science Diagnostic Quiz
Spring 2012

 		 

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Copyright © 2002 -- 2012 Herbert J. Bernstein and other parties. All rights reserved.

This is a computer science diagnostic quiz to be taken on the first day of class. This exam is to help you and your instructor see if you are adequately prepared (or perhaps more than adequately prepared) to take the course for which you have registered. Please do the best that you can on this quiz, but the results will not have any impact on your grade for the course. If you find yourself unable to do most or all of these questions, you should discuss this with the instructor immediately. Unless your problems are likely to respond to intensive tutoring, you may wish to consider taking some other course this semester and taking this course when you have a more solid background. However, do not be concerned if you can do most of the problems but cannot do all of the problems.

This exam must be the results of your own efforts.

The ONLY use you may make of a computer in doing this quiz is to open one browser window to bring you to the online version of the quiz. You may not use a calculator and you may not search for the answers on the web

To avoid disturbing other students, you must remain seated until the end of the examination period.

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Please fill in the following information:

Name:


Email:

Math and Computer skills:
Please list the mathematical subjects (differntial calculus, integral calculus, probability and statistics, ...), if any, the computer languages (C, C++, Java, VB, ... ), if any, and computer systems (MS Windows, Linux, ...), if any, with which you are familiar.

Please answer as many of the following questions as possible on this form (or on a paper copy of this form).

  1. You are the adult advisor to a large group of children, and you have foolishly agreed to bake 500 batches of cookies for the children to sell. You have 20 copies of a recipe book that has the instructions to on how to bake one batch of cookies. You have 19 willing adult helpers. Write an instruction sheet to be used by yourself and each adult helper in preparing their share of the cookies, assuming you have provided all the ingredients for yourself and for each helper and a copy of the recipe book for yourself and for each helper:

  2. Under the assumptions of question 1, if each batch of cookies contains 52 cookies when baked and you sample 4 cookies from each batch you bake and each helper samples 4 coookies from each batch they bake to be certain they are good, how many cookies will be left for the children to sell?

  3. You have a geometric series, 1 + x + x2 + x3 + ... with powers to infinity. What is the sum?

  4. You have a deck of 52 cards that have been well shuffled. You wish to tell an intelligent young child how to put the cards back in the order Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King within each suit and to put the suits in the order Spades, Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds. Write a clear set of such instructions.

  5. If y = x+1 and z = y/3; then if x = 35, what is the value of z? Explain your answer.

  6. If the people in a room are either Republicans or Democrats, and are either male or female, if there are 20 people total in the room and 6 are Republicans, 7 are female Democrats, and 11 are men, then how many are male Republicans are in the room? Explain your answer.

  7. For each of the following problems you will be combining fractions by addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Your answer must be a fraction reduced to lowest terms. Fill in the answers after the equals sign.
    Addition Subtraction Mutiplication Division  
                     
    1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7
    -- + -- =   -------- -- - -- =   -------- -- * -- =   -------- -- / -- =   --------
    2 16 2 16 2 16 2 16
           
    3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5
    -- +-- = -------- -- --- = -------- -- *-- = -------- -- /-- = --------
    5 3 5 3 5 3 5 3
           
    9 15 9 15 9 15 9 15
    -- +-- = -------- -- --- = -------- -- *-- = -------- -- /-- = --------
    11 17 11 17 11 17 11 17
           
    11 27 11 27 11 27 11 27
    -- +-- = -------- -- --- = -------- -- *-- = -------- -- /-- = --------
    33 47 33 47 33 47 33 47
           

  8. Perform the indicated arithmetic operations. Give the answer as an integer or as a fraction with the smallest possible denominator. Do not give your answer as a decimal fraction. Write each answer on a single line in the indicated box.

    • 4832198 + 6897875 =
    • 358 - 427 =
    • 468 * 827 =
    • 865 / 35 =
    • (43/87) + (29/137) =
    • (11/12) - (23/24) =
    • (19/21) * (7/8) =
    • (11/13) / (18/19) =

  9. Perform the indicated set operations. Give the resulting set for the following operations. Assume all sets are drawn from the universe of non-negative integers. Write your answer after the equals sign.

    • { 1, 3, 5, 7 } ∪ { 2, 4, 6, 8 } = { }
    • { 1, 3, 5, 7 } ∩ { 2, 4, 6, 8 } = { }
    • { 1, 3, 5, 7 } ∩ ¬ { 2, 4, 6, 8 } = { }

  10. The straight-line distance from city A to city B is 311 miles. The straight-line distance from city B to city C is 175 miles. What are the smallest and the largest possible values of the straight-line distance from city A to city C.

    Smallest:
    Largest:

  11. What is the sum of all the natural numbers from 17 to 1003?

  12. What is the sum of all the powers of 2 from 4 to 1024?

  13. Describe the structure of an essay.

  14. Explain how to find information about buying a house on the web.

  15. Explain how to prepare and send an email message.

  16. Explain how you use a mouse on a computer.

  17. Explain why saying x = x+1 in a high school algebra class might be confusing.

Please type the text you see in the box provided before submitting

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Revised 23 Jamuary 2012