Abstract
So far we have looked at algorithms designed to solve particular problems. For the most part, algorithms were in use long before it was felt necessary to give a clear definition of what is meant by an algorithm. Today, an algorithm is defined as a finite and organised set of instructions, intended to provide the solution to a problem, and which must satisfy certain conditions. An example would be [10]:
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1.
The algorithm must be capable of being written in a certain language: a language is a set of words written using a defined alphabet.
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2.
The question that is posed is determined by some given data, called enter, for which the algorithm will be executed.
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3.
The algorithm is a procedure which is carried out step by step.
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The action at each step is strictly determined by the algorithm, the entry data and the results obtained at previous steps.
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5.
The answer, called exit, is clearly specified.
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6.
Whatever the entry data, the execution of the algorithm will terminate after a finite number of steps.
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Chabert, JL. (1999). Towards the Concept of Algorithm. In: Chabert, JL. (eds) A History of Algorithms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18192-4_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18192-4_16
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