Sequential algorithm
Type of algorithm
In computer science, a sequential algorithm or serial algorithm is an algorithm that is executed sequentially, once through, from start to finish, without other processing executing, as opposed to concurrently or in parallel. The term is primarily used to contrast with concurrent algorithm or parallel algorithm; most standard computer algorithms are sequential algorithms, and not specifically identified as such, as sequentialness is a background assumption. Concurrency and parallelism are in general distinct concepts, but they often overlap, many distributed algorithms are both concurrent and parallel, and thus "sequential" is used to contrast with both, without distinguishing which one. If these need to be distinguished, the opposing pairs sequential/concurrent and serial/parallel may be used.
"Sequential algorithm" may also refer specifically to an algorithm for decoding a convolutional code.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Sequential algorithm”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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