Editing Algorithm (section)

== Examples ==
{{Further|List of algorithms}}

One of the simplest algorithms finds the largest number in a list of numbers of random order. Finding the solution requires looking at every number in the list. From this follows a simple algorithm, which can be described in plain English as:

''High-level description:''
# If a set of numbers is empty, then there is no highest number.
# Assume the first number in the set is the largest.
# For each remaining number in the set: if this number is greater than the current largest, it becomes the new largest.
# When there are no unchecked numbers left in the set, consider the current largest number to be the largest in the set.

''(Quasi-)formal description:''
Written in prose but much closer to the high-level language of a computer program, the following is the more formal coding of the algorithm in [[pseudocode]] or [[pidgin code]]:

{{algorithm-begin|name=LargestNumber}}
 Input: A list of numbers ''L''.
 Output: The largest number in the list ''L''.

 '''if''' ''L.size'' = 0 '''return''' null
 ''largest'' ← ''L''[0]
 '''for each''' ''item'' '''in''' ''L'', '''do'''
     '''if''' ''item'' > ''largest'', '''then'''
         ''largest'' ← ''item''
 '''return''' ''largest''
{{algorithm-end}}