ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Decomposition (computer science)

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a puzzle box. It's big and it has many different parts, but when you solve it, you can see the bigger picture. Well, a computer program is like a puzzle too. It's made up of many small parts that work together to make the program work.

Decomposition in computer science is like taking that big puzzle box and breaking it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes it easier to understand and work with each part separately. It's like taking apart different parts of a car to fix them, rather than trying to fix the whole car all at once.

When we decompose a program, we break it down into smaller chunks called "functions" or "modules". Each of these functions does a specific task that helps the program work. By focusing on one function at a time, we can understand it better and make sure it works properly before moving on to the next one.

Decomposition can also help with teamwork. If multiple people are working on the same program, they can each focus on different functions and work on them independently. This makes it easier for them to collaborate and keep the program organized.

So, in short, decomposition in computer science is like taking apart a puzzle box so that we can better understand and work with each smaller piece separately.