What Is An Algorithm? Defining And Applying Algorithms

Algorithms have taken on an almost mythical significance in the modern world. They determine what you see on social media and when browsing online, help form people’s belief systems, and impact the outcome of elections, among myriad other applications.

However, algorithms have been around far longer than social media, and are not solely used in computing. Far from it. A better understanding of algorithms can give you a stronger grasp of not just the forces guiding modern societies, but how systems work more generally.

That may sound grand, and talk of algorithms can sure get technical. We’re going to guide you through the basics, and hopefully give you a primer that makes it sound like you know your stuff when the topic next pops up in conversation.