anytime algorithm

anytime algorithm

   <algorithm> An {algorithm} that returns a sequence of
   approximations to the correct answer such that each
   approximation is no worse than the previous one, i.e. the
   algorithm can be stopped at _any time_.

   {Newton-Raphson iteration} applied to finding the {square
   root} of a number b is another example:

   	x = (x + b / x) / 2

   Each new x is closer to the square root than the previous one.

   Applications might include a {real-time} control system or a
   chess program that is allowed a fixed thinking time.

   (2007-06-19)