What to explore
- Algorithms and trace tables
- Pseudocode and programming
- Data representation
- Computer systems and networks
Try it: trace a running total
Start total at 0 and add the values 2, 4 and 6 in order. The successive totals are 2, 6 and 12. A trace table records each change, making it easier to spot a loop or initialisation error.
Separate concepts from syntax
First explain what an algorithm should do using a small example. Then express it in the notation required by your course. School pseudocode rules and programming-language syntax are not interchangeable.