English Online Dictionary. What means algorithm? What does algorithm mean?
English
Alternative forms
- algorism (obsolete)
- augrim (obsolete)
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)
- (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.
- 1990, Cormen, Leiserson, and Rivest, Introduction to Algorithms: page 1. Cambridge, MA, The MIT Press, 1999 (23rd printing)
- (loosely) A flowchart illustrating a decision-making process for human users, especially health care professionals.
- (uncountable, obsolete) Calculation with Arabic numerals; algorism.
- (informal, social media, by extension, usually preceded with "the") The recommendation algorithm used by social media websites to determine the contents of one's feed.
Hyponyms
Coordinate terms
- pseudoalgorithm
Related terms
Descendants
- → Japanese: アルゴリズム (arugorizumu)
- → Korean: 알고리즘 (algorijeum)
Translations
See also
References
Anagrams
- logarithm, mithralog