IB Digital Society 3.2B Components of an Algorithm 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.

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