3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Algorism  \Al"go*rism\,  Algorithm  \Al"go*rithm\,  n.  [OE. 
  algorism,  algrim  augrim,  OF  algorisme  F.  algorithme  (cf. 
  Sp  algoritmo  OSp.  alguarismo  LL  algorismus),  fr  the  Ar 
  al-Khow[=a]rezm[=i]  of  Khow[=a]rezm,  the  modern  Khiwa 
  surname  of  Abu  Ja'far  Mohammed  ben  Mus[=a],  author  of  a  work 
  on  arithmetic  early  in  the  9th  century,  which  was  translated 
  into  Latin,  such  books  bearing  the  name  algorismus  The 
  spelling  with  th  is  due  to  a  supposed  connection  with  Gr  ? 
  number.] 
  1.  The  art  of  calculating  by  nine  figures  and  zero. 
 
  2.  The  art  of  calculating  with  any  species  of  notation;  as 
  the  algorithms  of  fractions,  proportions,  surds,  etc 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  algorithm 
  n  :  a  precise  rule  (or  set  of  rules)  specifying  how  to  solve 
  some  problem  [syn:  {algorithmic  rule},  {algorithmic 
  program}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  algorithm 
 
    A  detailed  sequence  of  actions  to 
  perform  to  accomplish  some  task.  Named  after  an  Iranian 
  mathematician,  Al-Khawarizmi. 
 
  Technically,  an  algorithm  must  reach  a  result  after  a  {finite} 
  number  of  steps,  thus  ruling  out  {brute  force}  search  methods 
  for  certain  problems,  though  some  might  claim  that  brute  force 
  search  was  also  a  valid  (generic)  algorithm.  The  term  is  also 
  used  loosely  for  any  sequence  of  actions  (which  may  or  may  not 
  terminate). 
 
  {Dictionary  of  Algorithms,  Data  Structures,  and  Problems 
  (http://hissa.nist.gov/dads/terms.html)}. 
 
  (2000-10-13) 
 
 

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