Step by step description of how to arrive at a solution to a given problem is…

An Algorithm is a finite, unambiguous, step-by-step sequence of instructions designed to perform a specific computational or logical task.

Key Characteristics of an Algorithm:

1. Input & Output: It takes zero or more well-defined inputs and produces at least one clearly defined output.

2. Definiteness: Every step must be clear, precise, and unambiguous.

3. Finiteness: The instruction sequence must terminate after a finite number of steps; it cannot run into an infinite loop.

4. Language Independent: An algorithm is pure logic. It can be written in plain text or represented via a flowchart/pseudocode, and later implemented in any programming language (like C++, Java, or Python).