Basics of computer programming for sound synthesis

In principle, computers can be programmed to perform or solve almost any imaginable task or problem, with the proviso that the method for resolution can be explicitly defined and the data needed for its realisation can be explicitly represented. In essence, in order to program a computer one needs to write a sequence of instructions specifying how the machine will achieve the required results. This implies that the programmer must know how to resolve the problem or task in order to instruct the machine. 

An algorithm is a sequence of instructions carried out to perform a task or to solve a problem. They are normally associated with computing, but in fact they abound everywhere, even in cans of shaving foam  

Begin shaving foam algorithm Shake can well Wet face Hold can upright Release foam onto fingers Smooth onto fare 

In the example below, algorithm A is composed of a sequence of four instructions  

Begin algorithm A Instruction 1 Instruction 2 Instruction 3 Instruction 4 End algorithm A 

---