science

High- and low-level

High- and low-level is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand High- and low-level rather than just read about it. In short: High-level and low-level, as technical terms, are used to classify, describe and point to specific goals of a systematic operation; and are applied in a wide range of contexts, such as, for instance, in domains as widely varied as computer science and business administration. High-level describe those operations that are more abstract and general in nature; wherein the overall goals and systemic features are typical…

Key takeaways

High- and low-level belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect High- and low-level to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of High- and low-level from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

High-level and low-level, as technical terms, are used to classify, describe and point to specific goals of a systematic operation; and are applied in a wide range of contexts, such as, for instance, in domains as widely varied as computer science and business administration. High-level describe those operations that are more abstract and general in nature; wherein the overall goals and systemic features are typically more concerned with the wider, macro system as a whole. Low-level describes more specific individual components of a systematic operation, focusing on the details of rudimentary micro functions rather than macro, complex processes. Low-level classification is typically more concerned with individual components within the system and how they operate.

Differences

Due to the nature of complex systems, the high-level description will often be completely different from the low-level one; and, therefore, the (different) descriptions that each deliver are consequent upon the level at which each (differently) direct their study. For example,

there are features of an ant colony that are not features of any individual ant; there are features of the human mind that are not known to be descriptive of individual neurons in the brain; there are features of oceans which are not features of any individual water molecule; and there are features of a human personality that are not features of any cell in a body.

Uses In computer science, software is typically divided into two types: high-level end-user application software (such as word processors, databases, video games, etc.), and low-level system software (such as operating systems, hardware drivers, firmwares, etc.).As such, high-level applications typically rely on low-level applications to function.In terms of programming, a high-level programming language is one which has a relatively high level of abstraction, and manipulates conceptual functions in a structured manner.A low-level programming language is one like assembly language that contains commands closer to processor instructions. In formal methods, a high-level formal specification can be related to a low-level executable implementation (e.g., formally by mathematical proof using formal verification techniques). In sociology and social anthropology, high-level descriptions would be terms like economy and political structure, and low level descriptions would be individual peoples' motivations and work. In neuroscience, low-level would relate to the functioning of a cell (or part of a cell, or molecule) and high level to the overall function or activity of a neural system. In documentation, a high-level document contains the executive summary, the low-level documents the technical specifications. In business, corporate strategy is a high-level description, a list of who does what jobs is a low-level description.

Examples Climate is a high-level description of the actions of the atmosphere and oceans. Physics of water and gas molecules is a low-level description of the same system. The instruction "write a creative poem on love" is a high-level instruction. The instruction "tighten the tendons in the dominant wrist to grip the pen" is a low-level description of an activity within that. "Wikipedia is an encyclopedia" is a high-level description compared to "Wikipedia is a collection of textual articles on many topics". The former reflects a higher level view of organization, purpose, concept and structure, but does not explain what Wikipedia physically is. The latter is more detailed as to what exactly Wikipedia contains and how it's made up, but doesn't explain what its overall purpose and goals are. These are typical features of high-level and low-level descriptions, respectively. As a more general matter, encyclopedias, such as Wikipedia, can be considered a more high-level source of information on a particular topic than one might find in, for example, a trade magazine or a scientific journal.

See also Bottom-up and top-down design – Strategies for composition and decompositionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Emergence – Unpredictable phenomenon in complex systems Granularity – Condition of granules or grains Intentional stance – Philosophical concept Level of analysis – Location, size, or scale of a research target Levels of analysis (David Marr) – British neuroscientist and psychologistPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Level of organization – Set of phenomena emerging from pre-existing phenomena Meta-system – System about other systems Systems theory – Interdisciplinary study of systems

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with High- and low-level

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what High- and low-level claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to High- and low-level before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about High- and low-level ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of High- and low-level

In research: High- and low-level appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses High- and low-level in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: High- and low-level is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Abstraction, Complex systems theory, Formal methods, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for High- and low-level outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study High- and low-level in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what High- and low-level means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain High- and low-level out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is High- and low-level in simple terms?

Why does High- and low-level matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study High- and low-level?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on High- and low-level.