History of Algorithm
Procedures for solving geometric and arithmetic problems were formulated by ancient
Greeks
Some two thousands years ago, the celebrated procedure for finding greatest common
divisor (gcd) was discovered by Euclid
The word algorithm comes from the name of the 9th century Persian mathematician
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarzimi.
His works introduced algebraic concepts.
He worked in Baghdad at the time when it was the center of scientific studies and
trade.
Al-Khwarzimi's name was translated into Latin, and eventually became algorithm
The word originally referred only to the rules of performing arithmetic .
The word evolved to include all definite procedures for solving problems or performing
tasks.
In the mid-twentieth century D.E. Knuth undertook in depth study and analysis of
algorithms
His work is embodied in his comprehensive book ‘The art of computer programming’,
which serves as a foundation for modern study of algorithms
What is Algortihm
An algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes some values, or set of
values, as input and produces some value, or set of values, as output. It terminates after finite
steps.
An algorithm is thus a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into output.
Unlike a program, an algorithm is a mathematical entity, which is independent of a specific
programming language, machine, or compiler.
Algorithm design is all about the mathematical theory behind the design of good programs.
A good understanding of algorithms is essential for a good understanding of the most basic
element of computer science: programming.
Sometimes, there is often a small critical portion of the software, which may involve only tens
to hundreds of lines of code, but where the great majority of computational time is spent
(80% of the execution time takes place in 20% of the code.) The micro issues in programming
involve how best to deal with these small critical sections.
It may be very important for the success of the overall project that these sections of code be
written in the most efficient manner possible.
Procedures for solving geometric and arithmetic problems were formulated by ancient
Greeks
Some two thousands years ago, the celebrated procedure for finding greatest common
divisor (gcd) was discovered by Euclid
The word algorithm comes from the name of the 9th century Persian mathematician
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarzimi.
His works introduced algebraic concepts.
He worked in Baghdad at the time when it was the center of scientific studies and
trade.
Al-Khwarzimi's name was translated into Latin, and eventually became algorithm
The word originally referred only to the rules of performing arithmetic .
The word evolved to include all definite procedures for solving problems or performing
tasks.
In the mid-twentieth century D.E. Knuth undertook in depth study and analysis of
algorithms
His work is embodied in his comprehensive book ‘The art of computer programming’,
which serves as a foundation for modern study of algorithms
What is Algortihm
An algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes some values, or set of
values, as input and produces some value, or set of values, as output. It terminates after finite
steps.
An algorithm is thus a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into output.
Unlike a program, an algorithm is a mathematical entity, which is independent of a specific
programming language, machine, or compiler.
Algorithm design is all about the mathematical theory behind the design of good programs.
A good understanding of algorithms is essential for a good understanding of the most basic
element of computer science: programming.
Sometimes, there is often a small critical portion of the software, which may involve only tens
to hundreds of lines of code, but where the great majority of computational time is spent
(80% of the execution time takes place in 20% of the code.) The micro issues in programming
involve how best to deal with these small critical sections.
It may be very important for the success of the overall project that these sections of code be
written in the most efficient manner possible.
