ALGORITHMS

Algorithm

A finite sequence of well-defined steps used to solve a problem where each step is clear and the process eventually stops.

Finite

Having an ending; the algorithm must stop after a limited number of steps.

Well-defined steps

Clear and precise instructions that are not ambiguous.

Input

The data or values given to an algorithm.

Output

The result or solution produced by the algorithm.

Definiteness

The property that each step of an algorithm must be clearly and precisely defined.

Correctness

The property that an algorithm produces the correct output for every valid input.

Finiteness

The property that an algorithm must terminate after a finite number of steps.

Effectiveness

The property that each step of an algorithm must be simple enough to be carried out exactly and in a finite amount of time.

Generality

The property that an algorithm works for all valid inputs of a given problem type and not just a specific case.

Mathematical Model

A representation of a problem using mathematical concepts which requires an algorithm to generate a solution.

Pseudocode

An informal and language-independent way of writing algorithms that resembles programming code but is not tied to a specific programming language.

Procedure

A named sequence of steps that performs a specific task in pseudocode.

Flowchart

A visual diagram that represents the steps of an algorithm using symbols and arrows.

Start/Stop Symbol

An oval shape in a flowchart that indicates the beginning or end of an algorithm.

Process Symbol

A rectangle in a flowchart that represents an instruction or action to be executed.

Decision Symbol

A diamond shape in a flowchart that represents a condition that splits the flow into different paths.

Input/Output Symbol

A parallelogram in a flowchart that represents data entry or display of results.

Arrow (Flow Line)

A line in a flowchart that indicates the direction of execution.

Control Structure

A structure that determines the order in which instructions in an algorithm are executed.

Conditional Control

A control structure that executes steps based on whether a condition is true or false.

If-Then Statement

A conditional control structure that executes a block of code only if a condition is true.

If-Then-Else Statement

A conditional control structure that executes one block if the condition is true and another block if it is false.

Loop Control

A control structure that repeats a set of steps multiple times.

For-Do Loop

A loop that repeats a set of instructions a known number of times.

While-Do Loop

A loop that repeats instructions as long as a specified condition remains true.

Repeat-Until Loop

A loop that executes a set of instructions first and then repeats until a specified condition becomes true.

Loop Counter

A variable used to keep track of how many times a loop has executed.

Tracing an Algorithm

The process of manually following each step of an algorithm with specific inputs to observe how variables change and verify correctness.

Minimum-Finding Algorithm

An algorithm that compares elements in a set to determine the smallest value.

Decision Making

The process in an algorithm where a condition determines which path of execution to follow.

Repetition

The repeated execution of a set of instructions using loops.