6.7 KiB
6.7 KiB
Often Confused Terms
There are many terms that are very similar and are sometimes used interchangeably. This isn't wrong per se, a slight difference may be insignificant in certain contexts. However it's good to know the differences for those cases when they matter. The following list tries to document some of the often confused terms.
- AI vs machine learning vs neural networks
- algebra vs arithmetic
- algorithm vs program vs process vs heuristic
- analog vs mechanical
- anarchy vs chaos
- argument vs parameter
- array vs list
- ASCII art vs ANSI art
- assembler vs assembly vs machine code
- binary vs executable
- bug vs error vs exception vs fault vs failure vs defect
- causation vs correlation
- cepstrum vs spectrum
- chaos vs randomness vs pseudorandomness vs entropy
- class vs set
- closed source vs proprietary
- CLI vs TUI vs terminal vs console
- color model vs color space
- communism vs Marxism
- complex vs complicated
- computer language vs programming language
- computer science vs information technology vs informatics vs cybernetics vs computer engineering vs software engineering
- concurrency vs parallelism vs quasiparallelism vs distribution
- constant vs literal
- coding vs programming
- codec vs container format
- coherence vs consistency
- computational model vs model of computation
- convolution vs correlation
- copyright vs patent vs trademark vs intellectual property etc.
- crossplatform/multiplatform vs portable
- cryptography vs security
- data vs information vs entropy vs signal
- data structure vs data type
- decentralized vs distributed
- declaration vs definition
- demo vs intro
- desktop environment vs window manager
- duck typing vs weak typing vs dynamic typing
- digital vs electronic
- directed acyclic graph vs tree
- directory vs folder
- discrete Fourier transform vs discrete time Fourier transform
- emulation vs simulation
- equation vs expression vs inequality
- equivalence vs implication
- Euler's number vs Euler number
- evolutionary programming vs evolutionary algorithm vs genetic programming vs genetic algorithm
- equality vs identity (in programming languages)
- floating point number vs real number
- font vs typeface
- framework vs library
- free software vs open source vs public domain vs source available vs freeware
- geek vs nerd
- GNU/Linux vs Linux
- gradient noise vs value noise
- hypothesis vs theory vs conjecture
- ID vs token vs hash vs handle vs identifier
- infinite vs arbitrarily large/unbounded
- Internet vs web
- Java vs JavaScript
- kB/mB/gB/tB vs KiB/MiB/GiB/TiB
- latency/ping/lag vs throughput/bandwidth
- leftism vs pseudoleftism
- license vs waiver
- method vs methodology
- modem vs router
- NP vs NP-hard vs NP-complete
- paging vs virtual memory
- path tracing vs ray tracing vs ray casting
- pointer vs reference
- principal square root vs square root (especially when defining i)
- probability vs probability density
- pseudo vs quasi
- shading vs shadows
- science vs soyence
- Unicode vs UTF
- URI vs URL
- webpage vs website
- wrap around vs overflow