. . . . "In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm (/\u02C8\u00E6l\u0261\u0259r\u026A\u00F0\u0259m/ AL-g\u0259-ri-dh\u0259m) is a self-contained step-by-step set of operations to be performed. Algorithms exist that perform calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning.An algorithm is an effective method that can be expressed within a finite amount of space and time and in a well-defined formal language for calculating a function."@en .