- The definition of an algorithm is a specific and logical procedure to be followed in order to achieve specific results, or to solve a math problem.
- An example of a very basic algorithm is the procedure in math that dictates how to add double (or more) digit numbers together in order to achieve the correct answer.
- An example of an algorithm is the process that Google uses in its search engine to ensure high quality informational results when the user enters search terms.
algorithm
noun
- Math.
- any systematic method of solving a certain kind of problem
- the repetitive calculations used in finding the greatest common divisor of two numberscalled in full Euclidean algorithm
- Comput. a predetermined set of instructions for solving a specific problem in a limited number of steps
Origin of algorithm
altered (after arithmetic) ; from algorismRelated Forms:
- algorithmic
adjective
algorithm
noun
Origin of algorithm
Variant (probably influenced by arithmetic) of algorism.Related Forms:
- al′go·rith′mic
adjective
- al′go·rith′mi·cal·ly
adverb
algorithm
(plural algorithms)
- A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input value and yields an output value in a finite number of steps.
- (archaic) Calculation with Arabic numerals; algorism.
- Though some technical definitions require that an algorithm always terminate in a finite number of steps, this distinction is not generally observed in practice.
From French algorithme; from the Old French algorisme (“the Arabic numeral system”), a modification likely due to a mistaken connection with Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmos); from Medieval Latin algorismus, a transliteration of Arabicized form of the name of the Persian mathematician al-Khwārizmī (الخوارزمي (“native of Khwarezm”)).
algorithm - Computer Definition
A logical, systematic, step-by-step procedure for solving a mathematical problem.
A set of rules and procedures for resolving a mathematical and/or logical problem, much as a recipe in a cookbook helps baffled cooks in the kitchen resolve meal problems. A computer program can be viewed as an elaborate algorithm, and in computer science, an algorithm usually indicates a mathematical procedure for solving a recurrent problem. The word algorithm is believed to stem from the name of a mathematician at the Royal Court in Baghdad, Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khwarizmi (780–850 a.c.).
Today, information security professionals in particular are concerned with cryptographic algorithms—those used to encrypt, or encode, messages. Different algorithms have different levels of complexity, which is related to key size. For example, a 41-bit key is twice as hard to crack, or decode, as a 40-bit key. A 128-bit key is a trillion times harder to crack than a 40-bit key.
See Also: Computer; Cryptography or “Crypto”; Encryption or Encipher.
Graham, R. Hacking Lexicon. [Online, 2001.] Robert Graham’s Website. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/resource_files/documentation/hacking-dict.html; TechTarget. SearchVB.com Definitions: Algorithm. [Online, July 6, 2004.] TechTarget Website. http:// searchvb.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci211545,00.html.
A set of ordered steps for solving a problem, such as a mathematical formula or the instructions in a program. The terms algorithm and "program logic" are synonymous as both refer to a sequence of steps to solve a problem. However, an algorithm often implies a more complex problem rather than the input-process-output logic of typical business software. See encryption algorithm.
