What is an Algorithm?

YAP Von Bing

National University of Singapore
Singapore

Published in The Mathematician Educator, 2024, Vol 5, No. 1, pp 45-51.

Abstract

Numerical procedures are classified into two types according to whether there is a well-defined goal. The distinction is illustrated with well-known examples. Quite different is a “prediction algorithm”, which resonates with the implicit meaning of “algorithm” in popular discussions on social media and artificial intelligence. Some implications of the distinctions on the pedagogy of computational thinking and the society at large are briefly discussed.

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