In computer science, an algorithm might be classified as either lazy or eager. A lazy algorithm delays carrying out computations until the last minute, while an eager algorithm attempts to perform computations as soon as possible. Both approaches save time in different ways, and are appropriate in different situations. For example, if a program tends to receive the same or very similar inputs a lot of the time, an eager algorithm can store frequently used values to avoid redoing calculations. On the other hand, if a program’s behavior is highly variable or it has to wait for other processes to finish, a lazy algorithm can improve efficiency by avoiding doing unnecessary calculations.