algorithm

American  

[al-guh-rith-uhm] / ˈæl gəˌrɪð əm /

noun

1. Mathematics. a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, such as the Euclidean algorithm for finding the greatest common divisor.

2. Computers. an ordered set of instructions recursively applied to transform data input into processed data output, such as a mathematical solution, search engine result, descriptive statistics, or predictive text suggestions.

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algorithm British  

/ ˈælɡəˌrɪðəm /

noun

1. a logical arithmetical or computational procedure that if correctly applied ensures the solution of a problem Compare heuristic

2. logic maths a recursive procedure whereby an infinite sequence of terms can be generated

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algorithm Scientific  

/ ăl′gə-rĭth′əm /

1. A finite set of unambiguous instructions performed in a prescribed sequence to achieve a goal, especially a mathematical rule or procedure used to compute a desired result. Algorithms are the basis for most computer programming.

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algorithm Cultural  

1. A set of instructions for solving a problem, especially on a computer. An algorithm for finding your total grocery bill, for example, would direct you to add up the costs of individual items to find the total.

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Usage

What is an algorithm? An algorithm is a set of instructions or rules that can be followed to solve a problem.Algorithms are most commonly used in mathematics and computing, and they can often be very complex or have many steps or sets of instructions.For example, your teacher asks you to add 537 and 162. You might solve the problem by lining up 162 under 537 and adding the columns of numbers together. You add the 7 and 2 in the ones column to get 9, Next, you add the numbers in the tens column (3 and 6) to get 9. Finally, you add 5 and 1 in the hundreds column and get 6. Your answer, then, is 699. You have followed an addition algorithm to find the solution.In computing, a computer coder will create a set of instructions (the algorithm) that a computer or artificial intelligence will use to solve a problem or will consult in order to achieve a goal. Let’s say you spend the day watching Star Wars videos on YouTube. With each video you watch, the website will recommend other videos it thinks you will like. How does it know what you like? It runs an algorithm that finds videos that are similar to the ones you’ve already watched. If Darth Vader shows up in a video of a car commercial, YouTube will likely recommend it to you to watch because Vader was in a lot of the Star Wars videos you’ve already watched.

Other Word Forms

• algorithmic adjective
• algorithmically adverb

Etymology

Origin of algorithm

First recorded in 1690–1700; variant of algorism ( def. ), by association with Greek arithmós “number”; arithmetic ( def. )

Example Sentences

Women in the lowest risk group, representing 26% of participants, were advised to delay screening until age 50 or until an algorithm indicated their risk had reached that of a typical 50-year-old.

From Science Daily

In the following months, he convinced a former Samsung colleague and an old friend who was an algorithm expert to come aboard as co-founders.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The AI uses algorithms in place based on the information we provide it to look for the patterns, the trends, in the data that could point to fraud,” Lee said.

From Los Angeles Times

Instagram’s algorithm previously had been built on a following graph, meaning it primarily showed users posts from people they followed—either friends, celebrities or creators.

From The Wall Street Journal

China has stayed in the game because of strong algorithms, data and energy, but the U.S. leads by exploiting its computing advantage.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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