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Chapter 5: Problem 20

What does the phrase “garbage in, garbage out” mean?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The phrase "garbage in, garbage out" refers to the idea that if the input data provided to a process or system is of poor quality or incorrect, the output or result produced will also be of poor quality or incorrect. It can be applied to any process or system, not just computers. For example, using a calculator to add two numbers, if someone inputs 5 and 3 instead of 50 and 30, the calculator will give the result as 8, which is correct for the given input but incorrect for the desired result. This illustrates that if the input is incorrect, the resulting output will also be incorrect, even if the process itself is working correctly.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of the Phrase

The phrase "garbage in, garbage out" is commonly used in the field of computer science and information technology. It refers to the idea that if the input data provided to a process or system is of poor quality or incorrect, then the output or result produced will also be of poor quality or incorrect.
02

Origin of the Phrase

The phrase "garbage in, garbage out" (GIGO) was coined by George Fuechsel, an IBM technician, in the early 1960s. He used this phrase to express that the quality of a computer's output depends on the quality of its input. Since then, the phrase has been widely adopted and used in various contexts.
03

Application of the Phrase

The concept of "garbage in, garbage out" can be applied to any process or system, not just computers. It is a reminder that the output or result of any process is only as good as the input provided. For instance, a well-designed algorithm or software will not yield accurate results if the input data fed into it is incorrect or incomplete.
04

Example

Consider a simple calculator that is used to add two numbers. If someone inputs 5 and 3 instead of 50 and 30, the calculator will give the result as 8, which is the correct answer for the given input. However, the desired result is 80, which would only be achieved if the correct input (50 and 30) were provided. This example illustrates the "garbage in, garbage out" concept: if the input is incorrect, the resulting output will also be incorrect, even if the process itself (the calculator) is working correctly.

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