An algorithm (pronounced AL-go-rith-um) is a procedure or
formula for solving a problem. The word derives from the name of
the mathematician, Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khwarizmi, who was part
of the royal court in Baghdad and who lived from about 780 to
850. Al-Khwarizmi's work is the likely source for the word
algebra as well. A computer program can be viewed as an
elaborate algorithm. In mathematics and computer science, an
algorithm usually means a small procedure that solves a
recurrent problem.