System of standardized steps that lead to a solution. A series of decision rules. The term algorithm is frequently used in the context of automated data analysis that produces a decision or result. Algorithms have many applications; Polygraph algorithms analyze the physiologic data from structured examinations and make estimates of the likelihood of deception or assess which question has elicited the greatest physiologic response. There are several algorithms now available for the analysis of polygraph data. See: Dollins, Krapohl, & Dutton (1999); Nelson, Krapohl & Handler (2008).
