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Mathematical & Computational Physics

Algorithm

A finite, unambiguous sequence of mathematical instructions implemented in software to solve specific physical equations or compute numerical values.

Governing formula Step-by-step computational procedure
SI unit Computational Logic

In depth

In computational physics, algorithm selection determines numerical accuracy, computational speed, and stability. Well-designed algorithms minimize round-off errors and computational complexity.

Examples in the real world

Verlet integration algorithm for N-body molecular dynamics and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for spectral analysis.