As we mentioned in the last post, the computer and technology industry continues to develop at a rapid pace. The changes that have occurred since the first room-sized vacuum-tube-powered calculating machines of the 1950s are almost impossible to imagine. An inexpensive digital watch today has more functions than many of the early computers which, innovative for their time, are now completely obsolete. In such a rapidly-changing industry, it’s important to keep up to date on as much of the terminology as you can. Here are four words that are common terms in the technology industry:

• binary
• kilobyte
• algorithm
• component

The prefix bi- appears in many common words: bipedal (two feet), bicycle (two wheels), biennial (two years). Binary means “two parts” and in computer terminology usually refers to the binary language that is the basis for much of a computer’s function, where only the number one and the number zero are used, in increasingly complex combinations. A binary switch is one with only two possible settings, on or off. When binary digits are grouped in a series of eight, they become a byte.

The prefix kilo- means “one thousand” and so we would expect that a kilobyte would be one thousand bytes. However, since the binary system works by using powers of two in calculations (2¹ = 2, 2² = 4, 2³ = 8, 2⁴ = 16, etc.) and no power of two exactly equals 1,000, in common usage a kilobyte is equal to 1,024 bytes, which is the closest power of two (2¹⁰).

Computers perform their functions according to their programs, which are a series of yes/no binary decision points that form an algorithm. An algorithm is a set of instructions that tell the computer how to perform a certain function, by providing a list of all of the situations the computer could encounter during that process, and providing a list of all of the choices the computer could make in each situation. When the programmer has failed to anticipate a situation, or to provide a possible choice, the computer program will often “crash” as it has no instructions on what to do next.

An algorithm is only one component of the functioning of a computer, so if your laptop crashes, it might not be the programmer’s fault. A “component” is a piece or part of something bigger, but still something that can be handled or considered on its own. For example, if your computer starts overheating, it could be due to a broken fan (necessary to cool down the CPU, or central processing unit). You can remove this component, and replace it with a new one, without changing the function of the computer as a whole.

We hope that the Ultimate Vocabulary program will become a component of your daily vocabulary study, and help lead you to success in your chosen career!