ALGORITHMS
ALGORITHM
► The sequence of steps to be performed in order to solve a
problem by the computer.
► a process that performs some sequence of operations in
order to solve a given problem
► a set of well-defined instructions to solve a particular
problem.
► a set of step-by-step procedures, or a set of rules to follow,
for completing a specific task or solving a particular
problem.
QUALITIES OF A GOOD ALGORITHM
► Input and output should be defined precisely.
► Each step in the algorithm should be clear and
unambiguous.
► Algorithms should be most effective among many
different ways to solve a problem.
► An algorithm shouldn't include computer code. Instead,
the algorithm should be written in such a way that it
can be used in different programming languages.
Example of an Algorithm
► Algorithm of baking a cake:
1. Preheat the oven
2. Gather the ingredients
3. Measure out the ingredients
4. Mix together the ingredients to make the batter
5. Grease a pan
6. Pour the batter into the pan
7. Put the pan in the oven
8. Set a timer
9. When the timer goes off, take the pan out of the oven
Example of an Algorithm
► Algorithm of a friend arriving at a railway station:
❖Possible of 3 algorithms
▪ Taxi algorithm
▪ Call me algorithm
▪ The bus algorithm
PSEUDOCODE
Pseudocode
► a detailed yet readable description of what a computer program or algorithm must do,
expressed in a formally-styled natural language rather than in a programming language.
Pseudocode is sometimes used as a detailed step in the process of developing a program.
► an informal way of programming description that does not require any strict programming
language syntax or underlying technology considerations.
► used for creating an outline or a rough draft of a program
► one of the methods which can be used to represent an algorithm for a program. It does
not have a specific syntax like any of the programming languages and thus cannot be
executed on a computer.
► a plain-text description of a piece of code or an algorithm
► not written in any particular programming language. It's written in plain English that is clear
and easy to understand
Note: Pseudocode is not an actual programming language.
Example of a Pseudocode
► Pseudocode of in getting the average of grades
Set total to zero
Set grade counter to one
While grade counter is less than or equal to ten
Input the next grade
Add the grade into the total
endwhile
Set the class average to the total divided by ten
Print the class average.