Introducing algorithms
An algorithm is a sequence of steps that should be followed in order to complete a given task/problem.
It is a well-defined procedure that takes input data, processes it, and produces the desired output. A representation of this is shown in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: Introduction to algorithms
Summarized below are some important reasons for studying algorithms:
- Essential for computer science and engineering
- Important in many other domains (such as computational biology, economics, ecology, communications, ecology, physics, and so on)
- They play a role in technology innovation
- They improve problem-solving and analytical thinking
There are two aspects that are of prime importance in solving a given problem. Firstly, we need an efficient mechanism to store, manage, and retrieve data, which is required to solve a problem (this comes under data structures); secondly, we require an efficient algorithm that is a finite...
