The Porter Stemmer is an algorithm used in natural language processing to reduce words to their base or root form, known as stemming. Developed by Martin Porter in 1980, it helps in simplifying text analysis by removing suffixes from words, making it easier to group similar terms. For example, "running," "runner," and "ran" can all be reduced to the root "run." This stemming technique is particularly useful in information retrieval and text mining, as it improves the efficiency of search engines and data analysis. By focusing on the root forms of words, the Porter Stemmer enhances the ability to match related terms, thereby improving the accuracy of search results.