• 7.2: Models of Computation and Document Distance

    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Erik Demaine's "Models of Computation and Document Distance" Page

      Here we emphasize the fact that a computer program is not an algorithm. Rather, a computer program is just one way of expressing an algorithm. Computer languages are just a means of expressing in syntax what we want the computer to do. Understanding this important nuance is essential as you delve into the algorithms we explore in this unit. For instance, sorting is not a matter of computer programming but a matter of algorithm development. It is true that ultimately, the computer has to be made to carry out the task at hand. However, we must start with an algorithm (what we want the computer to do), not with a computer program (how we make a computer do something). Otherwise, the computer becomes a limitation instead of an aid. This lecture also discusses document distance, which will be important for several examples in later lectures.