Algorithm

//ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩// noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input value and yields an output value in a finite number of steps. countable

    "Informally, an algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or set of values, as output. An algorithm is thus a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into the output."

  2. 2
    a precise rule (or set of rules) specifying how to solve some problem wordnet
  3. 3
    A flowchart illustrating a decision-making process for human users, especially health care professionals. broadly, countable, uncountable

    "This retrospective observational analysis evaluated BP [blood pressure] control in an entirely remote management program before and during the pandemic. A team of pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physicians, and nonlicensed navigators used an evidence‐based clinical algorithm to optimize hypertensive treatment. The algorithm was adapted during the pandemic to simplify BP control."

  4. 4
    Calculation with Arabic numerals; algorism. obsolete, uncountable
  5. 5
    recommender systems and the curation of feeds; software that makes content display determinations on a platform, in totality of effect upon all end users (within a potential audience). countable, metonymically, uncountable
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  1. 6
    recommender systems and the curation of feeds; the influenced zeitgeist: e.g. what content ends up trending or viral, what persons become a main character or cancelled broadly, countable, informal, metonymically, uncountable

    "Glover began his acceptance speech by saying, “First, I want to thank the great algorithm that put us all here.”"

  2. 7
    recommender systems and the curation of feeds; the actual personalized selections of content seen by specific user(s), the microtargeting to which they are subject countable, informal, metonymically, uncountable

    "… you and I probably didn't run across that in our algorithm, but that doesn't mean that a lot of people aren't gonna run across garbage like that in their algorithms in the next couple weeks…"

Slang
  1. 1
    Recommendation system shaping what users see. slang, social-media, 2010s-2020s

    "The algorithm pushed that video everywhere."

Etymology

Etymology tree Arabic ال (al-) Old Persian 𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼𐏀𐎷𐎡𐏁 (u-v-a-r-z-mi-i-š) Classical Persian خْوَارَزْم (xwārazm)bor. Arabic خَوَارِزْم (ḵawārizm) Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Arabic خَوَارِزْمِيّ (ḵawārizmiyy) Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy)bor. Medieval Latin algorismusbor. Anglo-Norman algorismebor. Middle English algorisme English algorism ▲ English arithmo-influ. English algorithm From Middle English algorisme, augrym, from Anglo-Norman algorisme, augrim, from Medieval Latin algorismus, from Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy), the nisba of Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī and a toponymic name meaning "person from Chorasmia". The spelling change (-s- > -th-) was influenced by unrelated Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós) (whence English arithmo-).

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