In computer problem solving, the precise step-by-step set of instructions designed to solve a problem or perform a computation is called what?

Introduction / Context:
Programming and data science rely on exact instructions to transform inputs into desired outputs. The formal name for such a finite, unambiguous, and effective procedure is foundational to computing and appears across all languages and paradigms.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The procedure must be step-by-step and well defined.
• It must terminate after a finite number of steps.
• It must solve a specific problem or class of problems.

Concept / Approach:

An algorithm is a finite sequence of unambiguous instructions that, when executed, produces a result and halts. Algorithms may be implemented using different control structures (sequence, selection, iteration) and expressed as pseudocode, flowcharts, or executable code. Their efficiency is often evaluated by time and space complexity.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Computer science curricula universally define algorithms with these properties; programming languages are vehicles to implement them.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

List/plan: Informal artifacts; may not be precise or finite.

Sequential structure: Only one of several control structures (sequence, selection, iteration).

None: Incorrect because the precise term exists.

Common Pitfalls:

Equating any set of notes with an algorithm; algorithms require determinism, completeness, and termination criteria.

Final Answer:

An algorithm