5.3 KiB
5.3 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
- algebra vs arithmetic
- algorithm vs program
- analog vs mechanical
- anarchy vs chaos
- argument vs parameter
- binary vs executable
- array vs list
- cepstrum vs spectrum
- assembler vs assembly
- causation vs correlation
- 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
- computer language vs programming language
- computer science vs information technology vs informatics
- concurrency vs parallelism
- constant vs literal
- coding vs programming
- codec vs container format
- coherence vs consistency
- convolution vs correlation
- copyright vs patent vs trademark
- crossplatform/multiplatform vs portable
- cryptography vs security
- data vs information
- data structure vs data type
- decentralized vs distributed
- declaration vs definition
- desktop environment vs window manager
- 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
- error vs exception vs fault vs failure
- evolutionary programming vs evolutionary algorithm vs genetic programming vs genetic algorithm
- 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
- 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
- method vs methodology
- modem vs router
- NP vs NP-hard
- path tracing vs ray tracing vs ray casting
- principal square root vs square root (especially when defining i)
- probability vs probability density
- pointer vs reference
- shading vs shadows
- science vs soyence
- Unicode vs UTF
- URI vs URL
- webpage vs website