a precise rule (or set of rules) specifying how to solve some problem
"The chef followed an ancient algorithm to perfectly time when his pasta should hit boiling water."
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.
"The mathematician spent weeks refining the algorithm to ensure it could calculate prime factors within seconds rather than years."
In plain English: An algorithm is a step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem or completing a task.
"The app uses an algorithm to suggest songs you might like based on your listening history."
Usage: An algorithm is a specific series of instructions designed to solve a problem or complete a task, often used today to describe the logic behind computer programs or search engines. You should use it when referring to any defined process that takes input and produces a result through a set sequence of actions.
The word algorithm comes from the name of the Persian mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwārizmī, whose surname means "person from Chorasmia." His work on arithmetic was translated into Latin as algorismus and eventually entered Middle English as algorisme before evolving into its modern form.