What is the term for the "natural language" that allows computers to perform basic operations?

The term that best fits the description of the "natural language" allowing computers to perform basic operations is machine language. Machine language is the lowest-level programming language, consisting entirely of binary code (0s and 1s) that the computer's central processing unit (CPU) can directly execute. Each instruction in machine language corresponds to a specific operation such as arithmetic calculations, data transfers, and control operations, making it the most fundamental means through which a computer performs tasks.

High-level language represents a further abstraction from machine language, providing a more human-readable syntax that simplifies coding but requires a compiler or interpreter to convert it into machine language that the computer can execute. Assembly language also serves as an intermediary between high-level languages and machine language, using symbolic representations that are easier for humans to understand than binary, but it is still less abstract than high-level programming languages.

Programming language is a broader term that encompasses both high-level and low-level languages, including machine and assembly languages, which means while it accurately describes various types of coding languages, it does not specifically point to the lowest-level representation that directly interacts with computer hardware. Therefore, machine language is the precise term that aligns with the notion of a "natural language" for computers at their most basic operational level