The term algorithm (pronounced AL-go-rith-um) is a
procedure or formula for solving a problem. The word derives from the
name of the mathematician, Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khwarizmi, who was part
of the royal court in Baghdad and who lived from about 780 to 850. Al-Khwarizmi's
work is the likely source for the word algebra as well.
A computer program can be viewed as an elaborate algorithm. In mathematics
and computer science, an algorithm usually means a small procedure that
solves a recurrent problem.
|
