Multiple Levels of Abstraction in Algorithmic Problem Solving

The notion of abstraction repeatedly appears, in various ways, at all levels of computer science. It involves the aspects of leaving out details and comprehending concepts and mechanisms. It also involves the aspect of recognizing relationships between task elements. The latter aspect was not yet studied with respect to abstraction levels and algorithm design. We study it here. We analyze senior students' algorithmic solutions according to accepted interpretations of multiple abstraction levels, and offer guidelines for enhancing abstraction in students' algorithmics.

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