Do the algorithms seem complicated to you? Yes they can and get even more complicated. But if you want to enter a career in IT, you need to have a good understanding of the concept of algorithms.
Algorithms are the bread and butter of IT, and it never hurts to make sure you learn everything you can about them. Here you can do it!
Therefore, in this article you will find a lot of information on algorithms, flowcharts, type of algorithms And yet.
What is an algorithm in programming
Currently, the word algorithm is closely related to the field of computer science and programming. This type of algorithm is called a computer algorithm, and they are essential in the business.
The algorithms in computer science they are used to solve a problem in a program before bringing it into a programming language, that is, to refine an idea before its final development. This avoids mistakes and problems later.
Specifically, a computer algorithm It could be defined as a sequence of finite instructions that execute processes that respond to specific problems.
If you want to know more about algorithms, in this link you will find a lot of information on the subject, including examples of algorithms, definitions and much more.
You can also find a wide variety of algorithm examples
Representation of an algorithm in programming
There are several ways to to be able to represent an algorithm. It should be noted that in this case you can use the form that best suits the work you are doing.
The most famous of them are:
- By source code, by a programming language.
- Thanks to the pseudo-code, of which you will find more information below.
- You can also represent an algorithm using a flowchart.
Natural language
to exist algorithms written in natural language. In other words, the opposite of the rigid structuring of programming languages. The execution of the algorithm written in natural language follow a common and logical process.
This is done by describing in a textual way the step by step of each of the processes to be carried out to solve the given problem.
Although it may sound easier, the truth is that the algorithms using natural language they have certain drawbacks. For example:
- Ambiguity.
- Almost zero standardization.
- The size of the algorithm.
All of these factors have a high probability of causing errors, which means that it may not be correctly interpreted by the computer when written into a programming language.
Pseudocode
Essentially Pseudocode is a mixture of programming language and natural programming. This is used to carry out the design and development of software, including those that use artificial intelligence. In other words, pseudocode is a language of specification of algorithms.
Pseudocode is the textual representation of the steps that an algorithm must take to solve a certain problem. The pseudo-code for this uses words that determine the process to be performed.
It should be noted that there are combinations of different methods of representing algorithms, such as diagram Nassi-Shneiderman, which combines the textual representation of the pseudocode with the graphical representation of the flowchart, which is discussed later.
If you want to know more about the pseudocode, in this link you will find a lot of interesting information.
Organization charts
It could be set to a Flowchart as a useful method for describing a computational process, system or algorithm, although it is also used in other disciplines such as psychology.
The Flowchart It is used to show complex processes in diagrams that are clear and easy for everyone to understand. For this, in flowcharts, geometric shapes such as rectangles, rhombuses, ovals and others are used.
These allow you to define the type of procedure to be performed. To interconnect each of these actions, connection arrows are used, which establish the flow and sequence.
Programming languages
In a very simple way, we can say that a programming language is a set of symbols and codes that are used to guide the programming of structures in the development of computer programs.
With a programming language, you can control the actions a computer performs or device according to the functions you have defined in the program.
The Programming languages They are formal languages, which will allow you, when programming, to write a set of commands or a series of instructions, which contain input values and algorithms, which after being compiled will become a computer program.
Nassi-Shneiderman diagrams
The Nassi-Schneiderman diagrams, which were developed by the pair of researchers Isaac Nassi and Ben Shneiderman, in the early 1970s, and is a technique for creating algorithms.
Essentially combines the properties of the language used in the pseudocode with the typical graphical representations of the flowchart. It takes its shape from a Top-Down type design, that is to say from the most complex to the simplest. These are information processing strategies closely related to dynamic programming.
This type of diagram is also known as a Structogram because it is very useful for represent the structure of the programs. It is also known as the NS diagram or Chapin diagram.
An algorithm is not a program
One of the most important mistakes of those new to a business Computer raceis to think that an algorithm itself is a program. No. Basically, an algorithm is a set of ordered, finite, and delimited instructions.
A algorithm is created for the purpose of visually showing how programming must be done for a device or computer to perform a task. Instead of a computer program, It is a logical sequence of instructions that are used by a device or computer to perform a certain task.
These logical sequences are determined in the programming language, based on the study of the algorithms used in their development. This is the big difference between an algorithm and a computer program.