Algorithm
The word 'algorithm' has its roots in Latinizing the name of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi in a first step to "algorismus". Al-Khwārizmī (, , c. 780–850) was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and scholar in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, whose name means 'the native of Khwarezm', a region that was part of Greater Iran and is now in Uzbekistan.
Empirical algorithmics
American computer scientist Catherine McGeoch identifies two main branches of empirical algorithmics: the first (known as "empirical analysis") deals with the analysis and characterization of the behavior of algorithms, and the second (known as "algorithm design" or "algorithm engineering") is focused on empirical methods for improving the performance of algorithms. The former often relies on techniques and tools from statistics, while the latter is based on approaches from statistics, machine learning and optimization. Dynamic analysis tools, typically performance profilers, are commonly used when applying empirical methods for the selection and refinement of algorithms of various types for use in various contexts.