Algorithm

Algorithm, in mathematics, method of solving a problem by repeatedly using a simpler computational method. A basic example is the process of long division in arithmetic. The term algorithm is now applied to many kinds of problem solving that employ a mechanical sequence of steps, as in setting up a computer program. The sequence may be displayed in the form of a flowchart in order to make it easier to follow.

As with algorithms used in arithmetic, algorithms for computers can range from the simple to the highly complex. In all cases, however, the task that the algorithm is to accomplish must be definable. The definition may involve mathematical or logic terms or a compilation of data or written instructions. In terms of ordinary computer usage, this means that algorithms must be programmable, even if the tasks themselves turn out to have no solution.

In computational devices with a built-in microcomputer logic, this logic is a form of algorithm. As computers increase in complexity, more and more software algorithms are taking the form of what is called hard software. That is, they are increasingly becoming part of the basic circuitry of computers or are easily attached adjuncts, as well as standing alone in special devices such as payroll machines. Many different applications algorithms are now available, and highly advanced systems such as artificial intelligence algorithms may become common in the future.