Algorithms1

Algorithm:
- A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem in a finite amount of time.
- Algorithms can be represented using Flow Charts.
* Characteristics of an algorithm:
1. Algorithms always have a definite starting point and an end point. These points are generally marked with the words like Start, Begin, End, Stop etc.
2. They consist of finite number of steps.
3. They always relate to a specific problem or you can say that they are written for a given problem.
4. They serve as foundation stone for programming.
5. They are written in easy language.
* Problems with algorithms:
As mentioned earlier, algorithms are written in English like sentences. Sentences are always subject to misinterpretation. If the sentence is complex, different readers may interpret it differently. This definitely leads to problems at the time of coding. To overcome this problem, often the solution of the problem is provided in pictorial form. Pictures carry more meaning and don t lead to ambiguity. Such type of step-by-step solution, provided in pictorial form is called flowchart.