Algorithms and Coding

Abstract

The word “algorithm” (from the medieval Latin “algorismus”) appeared for the first time in an important document dated 1202, in fact on the very first page of the mathematical treatise “Liber Abaci” written by Leonardo Fibonacci. Today, the word is firmly established in almost all languages together with the English word “coding.” The two words together indicate how to organize and describe a series of actions to achieve a desired result: the algorithm constitutes the stage of designing and evaluating the strategy on which to build single actions, while coding reflects the operational phase that leads to the execution of those actions on a particular computing device, such as a PC, tablet, smartphone, or smartwatch.