Meaning & use
algorithm
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Meanings
nouncountablecomputing
A fixed series of steps for working out an answer or carrying out a task, especially one a computer follows.
Grammar: Countable: a sorting algorithm, several algorithms. It takes for or to: an algorithm for sorting names.
Patterns
- an algorithm for something
- run an algorithm
The programmer wrote an algorithm to sort the names alphabetically.
A simple algorithm can find the shortest route on a map.
Long division is an algorithm you can learn in school.
nouncountableinformal
The hidden rules a website or app uses to decide what content to show you, rank, or recommend.
Grammar: Often used with the in everyday talk: the algorithm decides what I see.
Patterns
- the algorithm favors something
The platform changed its algorithm and my posts reached fewer people.
Streaming sites use an algorithm to suggest what to watch next.
Creators try to guess what the algorithm rewards.
Word forms
| plural | algorithms |
|---|
Common combinations
- design an algorithm
- Students had to design an algorithm to solve the puzzle.
- search algorithm
- The search algorithm ranks pages by relevance.
- run an algorithm
- The software runs an algorithm every night to update prices.
- recommendation algorithm
- The recommendation algorithm learns what you like.
- efficient algorithm
- An efficient algorithm saves time on large data sets.
Synonyms and how they differ
- procedure
- Procedure is a general term for a way of doing something, while algorithm implies exact steps that guarantee a result.
- formula
- A formula is usually a mathematical expression, whereas an algorithm is a sequence of steps.
- recipe
- Recipe is a casual comparison for steps to follow, but it is not exact enough to be called an algorithm in technical talk.
- routine
- Routine in computing means a block of code, and it need not solve a problem the way an algorithm does.
Word family
- algorithmic adjective
- relating to or using an algorithm
- algorithmically adverb
- by means of an algorithm
- algorism noun
- an old term for arithmetic with Arabic numerals
Commonly confused: algorithm or logarithm?
algorithm vs logarithm
A logarithm is a mathematical function that is the opposite of an exponent. It sounds similar to algorithm but is a different thing.
Practice
Which of these is the best example of an algorithm?
Choose one answer.
An algorithm is an exact series of steps. A hunch is not precise, and a number or file is only data, not a procedure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “algorithm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.