computer science

Pidgin code

Pidgin code is a computer 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 Pidgin code rather than just read about it. In short: In computer programming, pidgin code is a mixture of several programming languages in the same program, or mathematical pseudocode that is a mixture of a programming language with natural language descriptions. Hence the name: the mixture is a programming language analogous to a pidgin in natural languages.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

In computer programming, pidgin code is a mixture of several programming languages in the same program, or mathematical pseudocode that is a mixture of a programming language with natural language descriptions. Hence the name: the mixture is a programming language analogous to a pidgin in natural languages.

Examples In numerical computation, mathematical style pseudocode is sometimes called pidgin code, for example pidgin ALGOL (the origin of the concept), pidgin Fortran, pidgin BASIC, pidgin Pascal, and pidgin C. It is a compact and often informal notation that blends syntax taken from a conventional programming language with mathematical notation, typically using set theory and matrix operations, and perhaps also natural language descriptions. It can be understood by a wide range of mathematically trained people, and is used as a way to describe algorithms where the control structure is made explicit at a rather high level of detail, while some data structures are still left at an abstract level, independent of any specific programming language. Normally non-ASCII typesetting is used for the mathematical equations, for example by means of TeX or MathML markup, or proprietary Formula editor formats. These are examples of articles that contain mathematical style pseudocode:

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pidgin code

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pidgin code claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer 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 Pidgin code 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 Pidgin code 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 Pidgin code

In research: Pidgin code appears in computer 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 Pidgin code 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: Pidgin code is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Algorithm description languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pidgin code 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 Pidgin code in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pidgin code 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 Pidgin code out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pidgin code in simple terms?

Why does Pidgin code matter?

Because it connects several computer 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 Pidgin code?

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 Pidgin code.