What is an Algorithm

Before you write a single line of code, you need a plan. That plan is called an algorithm: a precise, ordered sequence of steps that takes an input and produces the output you want.

You already use algorithms every day:

• a cooking recipe is an algorithm — follow the steps exactly and you get the same dish every time;
• a route to school is an algorithm;
• the instructions that come with a piece of furniture are an algorithm.