Kathryn's Computerless Algorithm

An algorithm based on observation - Shelving books in alphabetical order

By: Kathryn Barrett

Special thanks to Christine!

int step one = are all your books taken off the shelf in order to be organized?

int step two = does the first bookyou pick up have an author whose last name starts with the letter "a"?

int step three = does the second book you pick up have an author whose last name starts with the same letter as the first book you placed?

int step four = are there more books to be shelved?

call int step one

if true, continue to step two

else, take books off shelf until int step one is true

call int step two

if true, place the book so the spine is vertical on the far left side of the shelf and continue to int step three

else, place the book so the spine is vertical in a location on the shelf approximate to the letters in the alphabet starting from left to right and continue to int step three

call int step three

if true, place the book so the spine is vertical di

rectly next to your first book and continue to int step four

else, place the book so the spine is vertical in a location on the shelf approximate to the letters in the alphabet starting from left to right and continue to int step four

call int step four

if true, repeat step two followed by step three until

else, your books are shelved in alphabetical order