What is an algorithm? | The comparison

What is an algorithm? | The comparison

Algorithms affect our daily lives more than we realize, and most of the time, we don't even know it. We use algorithms in our daily commute, or when cooking your favorite Gordon Ramsey Beef Wellington recipe, or baking your favorite key lime pie. When you follow the steps of a recipe—meaning the exact measurements of each ingredient and even temperature control—you can create the cake just the way you want it—not sloppy and not rock-solid. In his book, The Art of Computer Programming, Donald Knuth describes algorithms as a confusing word. When learning the algorithms, it is easy to accept this description. Merriam Webster defines it as "a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or achieving a goal, so let's look at a few more examples first." The Google search engine allows us to get search results in milliseconds because it uses an algorithm. As? 'Or what? Google searches involve scanning millions of web pages for the keywords you entered and getting results in a split second. Right now, Google probably uses over 200 algorithms that we don't know about, but the company was using PageRank, which basically measured how important websites are to your search term or keyword. key to providing you with the best links possible, prior to your patent. Timed out. As another example, the suggestions you see when you search for movies or TV shows on Netflix are not random at all. The platform uses an algorithm to monitor not only what you watch, but also when you watch, where you watch, and how long you watch. Your favorite social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter also use algorithms. The ads you see follow certain algorithms to show you what content you might like and what products you might be willing to buy.

Is that all there is to the algorithms?

Absolutely not. Algorithms are essential in the basics of programming, and if you're more interested in coding than cooking, learning algorithms should always be your first step. Please note that the algorithms will not require extensive knowledge of computer programming or the programming language.

Is there a good / bad algorithm?

Algorithms govern many things that happen in the world today. The GPS device that takes you to your destination uses an algorithm, the website that books the flight to your next travel destination uses an algorithm, sending emails requires algorithms, video games use algorithms, even video conferencing with your group of work uses an algorithm. Algorithms created with good intentions can give negative results, but this is all very subjective. It is safe to say that there can be good or bad algorithms, depending on the intent and the consequences. Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1), a cryptographic hash function used to produce hash "hashes" (40 hexadecimal characters each), can be considered a good algorithm. It has been supported by Secure Shell, which is responsible for encrypted connections on millions of computers. However, due to growing security concerns, SHA-1 has put millions of websites at risk after an encryption error, which could be seen as a negative consequence.

Do algorithms make computers smarter?

Algorithms are important when writing code because they tell the computer what you want it to do. Whether you want to open a browser, inspect an item, find an application, each command goes through an algorithm that allows it to communicate with the computer, allowing it to do exactly what it needs to do.

Do the algorithms involve mathematical equations?

Often, but not always. The important thing to keep in mind is that algorithms cannot be vague, otherwise any desired result will be unattainable. Let's take an example: an algorithm built for the US tax system was reused elsewhere without amendment, resulting in €31bn of uncollected tax revenue in the UK. The algorithm is responsible for calculating the taxes, but using the wrong algorithm in the wrong situation can have bad consequences.

I want to know more about algorithms. Where do I start?

You can start by developing your logic, problem-solving skills and move on to basic programming (Java, C++, C, Python, etc.). In programming, algorithms play an invaluable role in solving problems, so it's important to note that algorithms have a bigger impact on our world than just getting millions of crawl links in milliseconds after googling or creating. the best key lime pie. Furthermore, learning algorithms is not something you can do by reading a single article in one go; Fortunately, there are a multitude of resources available online that you can use in your research to better understand algorithms. .