Introduction / Context:
Software development begins with a precise, step-by-step method for solving a problem. This method should be unambiguous, finite, and effective. In computer science terminology, such a method has a specific name that distinguishes it from informal plans or mere data listings.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question concerns fundamental terminology used in programming and CS theory.
- We focus on a set of steps that lead from input to output.
- Clarity, definiteness, and finiteness are implied.
Concept / Approach:
- An algorithm is a finite sequence of well-defined steps that transforms input to output and terminates.
- A list is simply an ordered collection of items; it need not solve a problem.
- A plan can be vague or informal and may not be computationally precise.
- A sequential structure is one control-flow pattern used inside algorithms, not the algorithm itself.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the defining properties: finiteness, definiteness, effectiveness.Match the concept that meets all properties: an algorithm.Eliminate terms that lack formal precision or that denote different concepts.
Verification / Alternative check:
Classic examples include Euclid's algorithm for GCD, binary search, and Dijkstra's shortest path method—each is a sequence of precise, terminating steps.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- a list: Describes data, not a problem-solving procedure.
- a plan: Informal and may be non-algorithmic.
- a sequential structure: Only one control construct; algorithms can use multiple constructs.
- None of the above: Incorrect because 'an algorithm' is the established term.
Common Pitfalls:
- Confusing pseudocode (a way to express an algorithm) with the algorithm itself.
- Assuming any set of steps is an algorithm without ensuring termination and definiteness.
Final Answer:
an algorithm
Discussion & Comments