What is an algorithm? How the computers know what to do with data
The world of computing is full of buzzwords: AI, supercomputers,
machine learning, the cloud, quantum computing and more. One word in particular
is used throughout computing – algorithm.
In
the most general sense, an algorithm is a series
of instructions telling a computer how to transform
a set of facts about the world into useful information. The facts are data, and
the useful information is knowledge for people, instructions for machines or
input for yet another algorithm. There are
many common examples of algorithms, from sorting sets of numbers to finding
routes through maps to displaying information on a screen.
To
get a feel for the concept of algorithms, think about getting dressed in the morning.
Few people give it a second thought. But how would you write down your process
or tell a 5-year-old your approach? Answering these questions in a detailed way
yields an algorithm.
To
a computer, input is the information needed to make decisions.
When
you get dressed in the morning, what information do you need? First and
foremost, you need to know what clothes are available to you in your closet.
Then you might consider what the temperature is, what the weather forecast is
for the day, what season it is and maybe some personal preferences.
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