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Basic Definitions

An algorithm is a precisely specified (well-defined) procedure for solving a computational problem. It take some values as input and produces some values as output, thus it transforms the input into the output (filter).

A computational problem is specified by a desired input-output relationship. For example a sorting problem is defined by an input array being unsorted and an output array being sorted.

An instance of a problem is consists of an input needed to compute a solution to the problem.

An Algorithm is said to be correct if, for every input sequence, it halts with the correct output.

An abstract data type is a data structure and a collection of functions or procedures which operate on the data structure.