What is an algorithm? Easily explained

We explain what algorithms are in this practical tip. The term from computer science and mathematics often appears in connection with software and computers. We show you exactly what is behind it and which major algorithms you encounter in everyday life.

Meaning: What are algorithms?

There are different definitions of an algorithm depending on the area of ​​application.

1. The term describes a series of instructions that can be used to solve a specific problem.
2. The sequence of instructions is often found in software and is available in the source code. By definition, an algorithm can also be written instructions for correctly connecting the computer. This means that humans and machines can execute different algorithms.
3. You often meet other criteria such as "finite length". This means that the algorithm must terminate after a finite number of steps, i.e. must end.
4. If you come across the term "well-defined" in connection with "algorithm", this means that the instructions are clear, that is, not ambiguous, that is, ambiguous and must exist.
5. An algorithm - like any other program code - is written according to a strict syntax.

Known algorithms: You will find these algorithms in everyday life

If you are wondering what the abstract concept of an algorithm has to do with everyday life, read in this section about large algorithms that play a role in work and leisure.

1. If you drive to work in the morning and use a navigation device, the Dijkstra or shortest path algorithm is often behind the device. It calculates which route is the fastest in the form of a graph and its nodes. Even factors such as traffic jams, inclines and road closures are taken into account here.
2. If you enter a term in a search engine such as Google, your results are output using the PageRank algorithm. It checks the result websites for competence, link structure and relevance for your search query. Then the results are sorted.
3. Behind each traffic light is an algorithm that defines the exact switching behavior.

In other articles we explain what the term SEO means and take a closer look at Google's PageRank algorithm.