07-20-2018, 06:20 AM
Today we live in the Age of Algorithms. Computer algorithms have some connection with things we do on a daily basis. But you will be surprised to discover that humans have been using algorithms for thousands of years. In simple terms algorithms are recipes that tell us in a step by step manner how to solve a problem. The only difference is that in the past algorithms could be time consuming while today computers can solve most algorithms in less than a few seconds. Algorithms will play a major role in the 21st century. 21st century is being called the Century of Algorithms. I have started this thread for those people who are beginners and fear algorithms as if they are something supernatural. Nothing of this is true. Algorithms are mathematical solutions to problems that we use to tell computers how to solve problems in real time.
Did you notice I said algorithms are mathematical solutions to problems? What if the mathematical solution to a problem is wrong? This is precisely the risk that we take when we let the computer algorithms make important decisions. These algorithms can be wrong and can result in major losses. So always keep this in mind algorithms can make wrong decisions that can result in heavy costs. So in simple terms algorithms are recipes that show how to solve a problem in a sequence of steps. This is important algorithms must be finite and able to solve the particular problems so that we can evaluate whether the solution is correct or not.
Euclid was the first Greek mathematician who developed an algorithm to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two natural numbers. Later on better algorithms were found that solved the GCD problem. So there is always a race in developing a better algorithm that can solve the problem precisely in less time. Modern examples are sequencing the human genome. So there can be multiple algorithms that solve the same problem. We need to decide which algorithm is the most suitable for our need.
The steps required by the algorithm should be precise and well defined so that the computer is able to take those steps. Algorithm should be able to solve all the cases of the problem. This was the simple introduction to algorithms. Today algorithms are increasingly being used in almost all the fields like finance, medicine, communications, science, aviation, weapon technologies, agriculture, industrial production etc. As said above, algorithms are affecting all aspects of our daily life. So we need to know what are these algorithms and how they affect us in our daily life.
Did you notice I said algorithms are mathematical solutions to problems? What if the mathematical solution to a problem is wrong? This is precisely the risk that we take when we let the computer algorithms make important decisions. These algorithms can be wrong and can result in major losses. So always keep this in mind algorithms can make wrong decisions that can result in heavy costs. So in simple terms algorithms are recipes that show how to solve a problem in a sequence of steps. This is important algorithms must be finite and able to solve the particular problems so that we can evaluate whether the solution is correct or not.
Euclid was the first Greek mathematician who developed an algorithm to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two natural numbers. Later on better algorithms were found that solved the GCD problem. So there is always a race in developing a better algorithm that can solve the problem precisely in less time. Modern examples are sequencing the human genome. So there can be multiple algorithms that solve the same problem. We need to decide which algorithm is the most suitable for our need.
The steps required by the algorithm should be precise and well defined so that the computer is able to take those steps. Algorithm should be able to solve all the cases of the problem. This was the simple introduction to algorithms. Today algorithms are increasingly being used in almost all the fields like finance, medicine, communications, science, aviation, weapon technologies, agriculture, industrial production etc. As said above, algorithms are affecting all aspects of our daily life. So we need to know what are these algorithms and how they affect us in our daily life.