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Review Algorithm

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Definition

An algorithm is a defined procedure or set of steps for transforming inputs into outputs or solving a class of problems.
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Plain-Language Explanation

An algorithm tells a computer how to carry out a procedure. Some algorithms contain fixed rules; others are used to train or run learned models.
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Why It Matters

Calling every automated decision AI hides important differences. Teams should ask whether behavior comes from explicit rules, learned parameters, application logic, or a combination.
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Example

A scheduling algorithm sorts available appointments, applies eligibility rules, and returns the earliest valid options.
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Common Misconception

An algorithm is not automatically intelligent, unbiased, or learned from data. Simple sorting and arithmetic procedures are algorithms too.
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Remember It This Way

An algorithm is a procedure the computer follows.
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Related Terms

* [[process|Process]] * [[input|Input]] * [[transformation|Transformation]] * [[output|Output]] * [[machine-learning|Machine Learning]]
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Sources

* [NIST CSRC Glossary — Algorithm](https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/algorithm) — NIST source-linked definition of an algorithm as a clearly specified computational process or set of rules producing a prescribed result.
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Learn More

* Compare computational steps with the operational framing in [[process|Process]].
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