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Introduction to Algorithms, 2/e
Thomas H. Cormen, Dartmouth College
Charles E. Leiserson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ronald L. Rivest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Clifford Stein, Columbia University
The Role of Algorithms in Computing

Glossary


algorithm  any well-defined computational procedure that takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or set of values, as output. A sequence of computational steps that transform the input into the output.
(See page 5)
Input  A sequence of n numbers (a1, a2,...,an).
(See page 5)
Output  A permutation (reordering) (a'1, a'2,...,a'n) of the input sequence such that a'1 ≤ a'2 ≤ · · · ≤ a'n.
(See page 5)
instance of a problem  consists of the input (satisfying whatever constraints are imposed in the problem statement) needed to compute a solution to the problem.
(See page 5)
correct algorithm  for every input instance it halts with the correct output. A correct algorithm solves the given computational problem.
(See page 6)
data structure  a way to store and organize data in order to facilitate access and modifications.
(See page 8)








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