Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm (
i/ˈælɡərɪðəm/ al-gə-ri-dhəm) is a self-contained step-by-step set of operations to be performed. Algorithms exist that perform calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning.
An algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list[1] of well-defined instructions[2] for calculating a function.[3] Starting from an initial state and initial input (perhaps empty),[4] the instructions describe acomputation that, when executed, proceeds through a finite[5] number of well-defined successive states, eventually producing "output"[6] and terminating at a final ending state. The transition from one state to the next is not necessarily deterministic; some algorithms, known as randomized algorithms, incorporate random input.
