finiteprocedure

noun

UK /ˈfaɪnaɪt prəˈsiːdʒə/

US /ˈfaɪnaɪt prəˈsiːdʒər/

A finite procedure is a set of steps that always stops after a limited number of actions.

The teacher showed us a finite procedure for sorting the blocks, and we finished in five minutes.

SYNONYMS

bounded process terminating routine limited algorithm finite method

RELATED WORDS

algorithm termination loop computation step

OTHER MEANINGS

2. In computer science, a procedure guaranteed to halt after a finite number of steps for any valid input.

The programmer proved the sorting routine was a finite procedure.

3. A formal sequence of instructions with a known, limited end point.

The recipe is a finite procedure because it ends after the cake is baked.

4. A mathematical process that completes in a bounded number of operations.

Euclid's algorithm is a finite procedure for finding the greatest common divisor.