In computer science, a search algorithm is an algorithm for finding an item with specified properties among a collection of items which are coded into a computer program, that look for clues to return what is wanted. The items may be stored individually as records in a database; or may be elements of a search space defined by a mathematical formula or procedure, such as the roots of an equation with integer variables; or a combination of the two, such as the Hamiltonian circuits of a graph.