What is an algorithm?
An algorithm is a set of rules or instructions needed to solve a problem or perform a computation, usually done by computers. Algorithms are used in many areas of IT: They are used in data processing, automation, machine learning, and many aspects of social media. In cryptography, algorithms are used for authentication, data encryption, and digital signatures.
Understanding algorithms
Algorithms are used for social media marketing, YouTube recommendations, or google search rankings. They govern the internet we use and know.
The word algorithm comes from 9th-century Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, whose name became Latinized as Algoritmi. Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī was a mathematician and astronomer in what is current-day Uzbekistan.
