algorithm

English Online Dictionary. What means algorithm‎? What does algorithm mean?

English

Alternative forms

• algorism (obsolete), augrim (obsolete)
• (social media): (preceded with the and capitalized for effect) Algorithm

Etymology

From Middle English algorisme, augrym, from Anglo-Norman algorisme, augrim, from Medieval Latin algorismus, from Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy), the nisba of Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī and a toponymic name meaning "person from Chorasmia". The spelling change (-s- > -th-) was influenced by unrelated Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós) (whence English arithmo-).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ălʹgə-rĭ-thəm, ălʹgə-rĭth-m, IPA^(key): /ˈælɡəɹɪðəm/, [ˈæɫɡəɹɪðm̩]
• (General American) enPR: ălʹgə-rĭ'thəm, ălʹgə-rĭth'm, IPA^(key): /ˈælɡəˌɹɪðəm/, [ˈæɫɡəˌɹɪðm̩]
• Hyphenation UK: al‧gorithm, US: al‧go‧rithm

Noun

algorithm (countable and uncountable, plural algorithms)

1. (countable) A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. 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.
   • 1990, Cormen, Leiserson, and Rivest, Introduction to Algorithms: page 1. Cambridge, MA, The MIT Press, 1999 (23rd printing)

     Informally, an algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or set of values, as output. An algorithm is thus a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into the output.
2. (loosely) A flowchart illustrating a decision-making process for human users, especially health care professionals.
3. (uncountable, obsolete) Calculation with Arabic numerals; algorism.
4. (social media, metonymic) recommender systems and the curation of feeds
   1. (usually proceeded by definite article "the") software that makes content display determinations on a platform, in totality of effect upon all end users (within a potential audience).
   2. (informal, by extension of above) the influenced zeitgeist: e.g. what content ends up trending or viral, what persons become a main character or cancelled
   3. (informal, usually proceeded by a possessive determiner) the actual personalized selections of content seen by specific user(s), the microtargeting to which they are subject

      Hyponym: filter bubble

Hyponyms

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• → Japanese: アルゴリズム (arugorizumu)
• → Korean: 알고리즘 (algorijeum)

Translations

See also

References

Anagrams

• logarithm, mithralog