Algorithm Properties

3. Definiteness:

- Algorithms must specify every step and the order the steps must be taken in the process - Definiteness means specifying the sequence of operations for turning input into output - Details of each step must be spelled out (including how to handle errors)

An Algorithm MUST have these five properties:

Input Specified Output Specified Definiteness Effectiveness Finiteness

4. Effectiveness:

- For an algorithm to be effective, each of its steps must be doable - The agent must be able to perform each step without any outside help or extraordinary powers

5. Finiteness:

- The algorithm must stop, eventually! - Stopping may mean that you get the expected output OR you get a response that no solution is possible - Finiteness is not usually an issue for non-computer algorithms - Computer algorithms often repeat instructions with different data and finiteness may be a problem

1. Input Specified:

- The input is the data to be transformed during the computation to produce the output. -What data do you need to begin to get the result you want? -Input precision requires that you know what kind of data, how much and what form the data should be.

2. Output Specified:

- The output is the data resultng from the computation (your intended result) - Frequently the name of the algorithm contains the output: "Algorithm to compute batting average" - Output precision also requires that you know what kind of data, how much and what form the output should be (or even if there will be any output at all)