Final answer:
In computer science, the reason why a list is another term for a vector is mainly due to historical convention. Both concepts have roots in mathematics, where a vector is an ordered set of components, analogous to a list in programming which is an ordered sequence of elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term vector in computer science is sometimes used interchangeably with the term list, but these two concepts have some distinctions depending on programming languages and contexts. Historically, in mathematics and physics, a vector represents a quantity that has both magnitude and direction, represented usually as an array of numbers called components. These components denote the vector's projection onto a set of axes or basis in a certain dimensional space.
However, in computer science, particularly in programming languages, a list is a data structure that is an ordered sequence of elements, and a vector often refers to a dynamically sized array, which can change in size and allows random access to elements. The reason a list is another term for the word vector in computer science is primarily A) Historical convention.
The use of the word vector in the context of a list likely stems from the idea that like a mathematical vector, a list in computer science is often a sequence of elements that can be accessed by their index position (i.e., their direction from the start of the list), with each element representing a component of the vector. Additionally, both vectors and lists are collections that can be iterated over and manipulated using algorithms.
In many high-level programming languages, the term 'vector' denotes a specific type of list with certain properties, such as dynamic resizing, and the term 'list' might refer to a linked list, an array, or another sequence type depending on the language's specifications and historical development. In language specifications and documentation, the terminology might adhere to the language's convention, whereas in casual conversation and pedagogy, the terms might be used more interchangeably to mean any sequence-like collection. This implies an established convention over time, hence the notion of historical convention.