Algorithm

How it is used

You design, implement, optimize and compare algorithms. Algorithms are a big part of technical interviews, where you are expected to explain your approach and its time complexity out loud.

Example sentences

1. The new ranking algorithm puts recent posts higher in the feed.

2. In the interview, I had to explain my algorithm before writing any code.

Common collocations

• sorting algorithm
• implement an algorithm
• efficient algorithm
• search algorithm

Related terms

• data structureA way of organizing data in memory, such as an array, list, tree or hash map, so that certain operations are fast and simple.
• time complexityHow the number of steps an algorithm takes grows as the size of its input grows, usually written in Big O notation.
• Big O notationA way of describing how the running time or memory use of an algorithm grows as the input gets bigger, for example O(1), O(n) or O(n²).
• recursionA technique where a function solves a problem by calling itself on a smaller part of the same problem until it reaches a simple case.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• algorithm · Digital Marketing & SEO
• algorithm · Social Media & Content Creation

More terms: Data Structures and Algorithms

• array
• iterate
• hash map
• index
• sort
• stack
• queue
• linked list
• tree
• binary search
• brute force
• space complexity