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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Wvbailey (talk | contribs) at 23:46, 5 June 2016 (→"Most algorithms are intended to be implemented as computer programs."). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

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Former featured articleAlgorithm is a former featured article. Please see the links under Article milestones below for its original nomination page (for older articles, check the nomination archive) and why it was removed.
Main Page trophyThis article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on July 20, 2004.
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January 19, 2004Refreshing brilliant proseKept
May 16, 2006Featured article reviewDemoted
July 13, 2006Good article nomineeListed
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Current status: Former featured article

On the introduction

I think that in this article basics should be included for beginners.Link:logarithms,Euclidean vectors

Etymology and True Word Origins

It is obvious the editor of this article has control issues.

It is a fact that al-Khwārizmī studied Greek source material extensively to make his unique contribution to the world of mathematics.

It is a fact that most of the word algorithm just as word the logarithm come from a Greek language origin.

To state that two syllables of a word come from a certain language (in this case Greek and NOT Arabic) and then refuse to give credit, shows true ignorance, ethnic bias and revisionism.


It is in fact important to begin to understand any concept by beginning with where the notion comes from and what it means, this is fundamental.

Since "al" is a reference to the name Khwārizmī and not part of the name or nomen itself, then there is no evidence that this is related to the etymology of the word algorithm and not irrelevant to the issue. The word 'the' or 'of' have no contextual or descriptive relationship to the entire word, al-gorithm.

It is widely accept that logarithm is short for the Greek logos-arthimos or literally translated "why-arithmetic" and most evidence supports the idea that algorithm is a further development of the same arithmetic concept allo-logos-arthimos or translated from the Greek: "another-why-arithmetic".

"Most evidence"? Where? Yours appears to be a false etymology, even though it's a reasonable mistake to make. See this for example:
ALGORITHM. n. 1690s, from French algorithme, refashioned (under mistaken connection with Greek arithmos "number") from Old French
algorisme "the Arabic numeral system" (13c.), from Medieval Latin algorismus, a mangled transliteration of Arabic al-Khwarizmi
"native of Khwarazm," surname of the mathematician whose works introduced sophisticated mathematics to the West (see algebra ). 
The earlier form in Middle English was algorism (early 13c.), from Old French.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary. 200.127.158.54 (talk) 21:26, 1 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

al-Khwārizmī developed the algorithm from reference to Greek math texts, not in a vacuum, but by study of preexisting knowledge and he innovated from that point. This has nothing to do with opinions it is "the story", historical fact. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.183.30.237 (talk) 06:41, 8 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You are certainly full of opinions (or as Bertrand Russell would call them -- "beliefs"), but you have not backed them up with even a single source. Wikipedia requires sources, not beliefs. If you have credible sources, in particular research on the etymology of this particular word algorithm, we would like to see them. Bill Wvbailey (talk) 14:40, 8 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There are sources in the article itself, an article which has contradictions. Some related articles that conflict are also found. The use of language fragments or combined words means that it is already proven. Arabic and Greek merging of words is common throughout history, there is a shared influence from Egypt and the Phoenician root. The close trading relationship between these cultures translated into intellectual exchange as well. The alphabet was created from a Phoenician arithmetic notation of items of trade, ie. Ox-head or alpha etc. The Greeks combined these symbols with there own glyph-ic scripts and writing was also adopted in more widely in the mid east. Arabic followed a similar genesis preceding written script.

The article itself is not consistent and was revised to remove pertinent information. I don't agree that any "belief" system enters into the debate. History at one point in time became an instrument to convey knowledge as imperfect as that can be. Politicizing something that can be clearly pointed out does not accomplish anything. It is not belief that leads me to think this, it is disdain for a new culture that has disregard for the past. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.182.147.217 (talk) 04:36, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Etymology: algorithm. Sources? BillWvbailey (talk) 23:00, 11 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 2 external links on Algorithm. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add {{cbignore}} after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add {{nobots|deny=InternetArchiveBot}} to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:

Cheers.—cyberbot IITalk to my owner:Online 17:53, 13 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

first paragraph covering Euclid's

I improved the section covering Euclid's algorithm by mentioning that it's to determine the greatest common divisor. See the edit. A good understanding of English and language in general will tell you that even though the usual use of adjectives is that you put it before the noun that it demonstrates, when the demonstrative (is predicate a better word?) is more a phrase than a single word--in this case, "common to two numbers"--it makes it easier to parse to put the adjectival phrase after the noun. user:98.229.184.161 disagrees, and made this edit with the claim that my usage was invalid. See his edit. On the other hand, now the wording is "greatest common divisor (GCD) to two numbers" which, to me, seems very clunky. I would edit it back to return it to my wording, but I don't feel like starting an edit war over something so simple. I'll leave it to the rest of the community to decide. D. F. Schmidt (talk) 21:48, 14 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Word origin and Etymology

There are two sections ("word origin" and "etymology") in article about one and the same topic. I think these sections need to merge. --Treisijs (talk) 14:37, 21 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

"Most algorithms are intended to be implemented as computer programs."

"Most algorithms are intended to be implemented as computer programs. However, algorithms are also implemented by other means, such as in a biological neural network (for example, the human brain implementing arithmetic or an insect looking for food), in an electrical circuit, or in a mechanical device."

Where is the evidence for this? This sounds like a view of a computationalist. Yoga Conflagration (talk) 19:36, 5 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Can you suggest a rewrite? E.g. "The most common algorithms are hand-calculations for [arguably, source?] common arithmetic computations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, square-root and exponentiation. Algorithms are implemented as computer programs [source? See the Bohm-Jacopini theorem ] and by other means, such as computer programs, biological neural networks (for example, the human brain implementing arithmetic or an insect looking for food), and [combinatorial and sequential] electrical circuits , or a mechanical device ." Bill Wvbailey (talk) 23:45, 5 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]
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