– What is an algorithm?
In: 8
It’s just a set of steps, a set of instructions.
This is an algorithm.
1. Take off your clothes
2. Get into the bathtub.
3. Turn on the water
4. Soap up your body
5. Scrub!
6. Rinse all the soap off
7. Turn off the water
8. Step out of the tub
9. Dry off with a towel
That’s a simple one, but there are algorithms for doing some pretty complicated things:
* There’s an algorithm for figuring out the 100th digit of Pi.
* There’s an algorithm for figuring out your monthly mortgage payment given the purchase price and interest rate.
* There’s an algorithm for comparing one file against another on your computer.
*Typically*, the term “algorithm” is used when talking about steps taken in mathematics or computers.
Latest Answers