A classification scheme for algorithm citation function in scholarly works

Algorithms are ubiquitous in the computer science literature. A search engine for algorithms has been tested as part of the CiteseerX suite; however, it only retrieves algorithms whose metadata is textually matched with the search query. Such a limitation occurs because a traditional search engine does not have the ability to understand what algorithms are and how they work. Here, we present an initial effort in understanding the semantics of algorithms. Specifically, we identify how an existing algorithm can be used in scholarly works and propose a classification scheme for algorithm function.