A detailed sequence of actions to perform to accomplish some task. Named after an Iranian mathematician, Al-Khawarizmi. Technically, an algorithm must reach a result after a ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=finite">finite number of steps, thus ruling out ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=brute force">brute force search methods for certain problems, though some might claim that brute force search was also a valid (generic) algorithm. The term is also used loosely for any sequence of actions (which may or may not terminate). {Paul e. Black' s Dictionary of Algorithms, Data Structures, and Problems (http://www.nist.gov/dads/)}. (2002-02-05)
