algorithm

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈælgəˌrɪðəm/ 🇺🇸 /ˈælgɜrˌɪðəm/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A finite sequence of well-defined instructions or rules used to solve a class of problems or to perform a computation.; Any systematic method or procedure for accomplishing a task, especially one that can be expressed in a finite number of steps.; In mathematics, a procedure for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps, frequently involving repetition of an operation.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: algorithms

Collocations

genetic algorithmsearch algorithmsorting algorithmalgorithm designrun an algorithmmachine learning algorithm

Derivatives

algorithmicalgorithmically

Synonyms

proceduremethodprocessformularoutineprotocol

Commonly confused

logarithm
EN: 'Logarithm' is a mathematical function (the inverse of exponentiation); 'algorithm' is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem.
algorism
EN: 'Algorism' is an archaic term for the system of arithmetic using Arabic numerals; 'algorithm' is a general term for a computational procedure.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not write 'algorhythm' or 'algorithym'—there is no 'h' or 'y' in 'algorithm'. It is often confused with 'logarithm' due to similar sound, but they are unrelated in spelling and meaning.

💬 Examples

  1. The search engine uses a complex algorithm to rank web pages by relevance.

  2. She developed an algorithm for organizing her daily tasks by priority.

  3. Euclid's algorithm is one of the oldest known methods for finding the greatest common divisor.