How do Algorithms Work? Understanding the basics of computers.
Guiding Questions
What are algorithms?
Essentially an algorithm is a set of instructions and rules to follow, in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer. A procedure that takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some amount, or set of values, as output.
How do algorithms work?
A great example of an algorithm at work is cooking with a recipe; you gather all the necessary ingredients as an input. Follow the instructions of the recipe as an algorithm, and produce a plate of food, the output. However, one big difference is that computers can perform tasks millions of times faster than any human.
How do algorithms affect you?
The internet plays a massive role in our lives; about 8/10 Americans interact on the web daily; however, most people don’t understand how the algorithms widely used on the internet today work. Filter bubbles are an example of how algorithms are affecting you today.
Lesson 01
Things to Think About
Algorithms + Society presents a course that is dedicated to helping the public gain the mindset and skillset to identify instances of algorithmic bias & discrimination on the web. Big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have a global presence and affect the way people live all around the globe. Lack of awareness of the infrastructure of the internet is a significant issue considering the large number of people interacting with the internet.
Origin of the word “Algorithm”
The history began in the 9th century Stemming from the great mathematician who is the founder of Algebra, Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, Muhammad wrote the book Al’Jabr wa’al’ Muqabilah. The book was translated to Latin with the new title “Algoritmi de numero Indorum” in the 12th century. The word Algorimit was adapted to the word algorism which translated to decimal number system around the 17th century, In the 19th century, the algorithm took on the meaning it has today.