IB Digital Society 3.2 Algorithms Key Definitions

A finite sequence of clear, unambiguous steps that takes an input and follows a set procedure to produce an output or solve a problem.

The principle that the people and organisations who build and deploy an algorithm are answerable for its effects.

Systematic, unfair outcomes produced by a computer system, often because the data it learned from under-represents some groups or encodes past inequality. In healthcare it can mean a tool works well for some patients and poorly for others.

A systematic error in an algorithm that produces unfair outcomes, often by favouring one group over another.

A system whose internal workings cannot be easily inspected or explained. Many neural networks are black boxes: they can be accurate while no one can fully explain how they reached a particular output.

A component that lets an algorithm choose between different actions by testing whether a condition is true or false, often written as an if-then-else statement.

A diagram that represents an algorithm using standard shapes joined by arrows, so the flow of steps and decisions can be followed at a glance.

A component that repeats a set of instructions, either a fixed number of times or until a condition is met, so the steps do not have to be written out again and again.

A structured, code-like way of writing an algorithm in plain language, precise enough to show the logic but not tied to any real programming language.

An algorithm that predicts what a user is likely to want and ranks items to suggest, based on their past behaviour and that of similar users.

An algorithm that looks through data to find whether a particular item is present and, if so, where it is.

An algorithm that arranges the items in a list into a particular order, such as smallest to largest or alphabetical.

Values are the things a person or group holds to be important, and ethics are the systems of reasoning used to decide what is right, fair, or just. Together they guide how people judge and act.

A variable is a memory storage location that holds the values that the algorithm needs, which may change during runtime.