Algorithm
Atomic claims
algorithm is a subclass of procedure.
algorithm is a subclass of work.
algorithm is a subclass of mathematical concept.
algorithm is part of computer science.
algorithm is part of algorithmics.
algorithm is part of mathematics.
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm ( ) is a finite sequence of mathematically rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific problems or to perform a computation.
Algorithms are used as specifications for performing calculations and data processing.
More advanced algorithms can use conditionals to divert the code execution through various routes (referred to as automated decision-making) and deduce valid inferences (referred to as automated reasoning).
In contrast, a heuristic is an approach to solving problems without well-defined correct or optimal results.
For example, although social media recommender systems are commonly called "algorithms", they actually rely on heuristics as there is no truly "correct" recommendation.
As an effective method, an algorithm can be expressed within a finite amount of space and time and in a well-defined formal language for calculating a function.
Starting from an initial state and input, a computation occurs at each step, eventually producing output and terminating.
The transition between states can be non-deterministic; randomized algorithms incorporate random input.
External references: Wikidata Q8366