According to Techopedia, “in its purest sense, an algorithm is a mathematical process to solve a problem using a finite number of steps. In the world of computers, an algorithm is the set of instructions that defines not just what needs to be done but how to do it”. So, in brief, an algorithm is a set of instructions designed to perform a specific task.
Algorithms are used in very diverse ways. Their development is crucial in computer science. They are a key part of artificial intelligence, databases, graphics, networking, operating systems, and security, just to mention some.
Sometimes, when we talk about algorithms, we tend to think of them as programming tasks, but algorithm development is more than that. To develop an algorithm, it’s necessary to understand all the alternatives available, ranging from hardware, networking and programming language to performance constraints. It also requires understanding what it means for an algorithm to be “correct” in the sense that it fully and efficiently solves the problem.
To understand what an algorithm is and how it works, in a great deal of literature we find a very simple example: a cooking recipe, as we set and follow several rules that have to be followed to achieve the desired outcome.
There are several kinds of algorithms, and in a very simple way we can divide them into four types: heuristic, metaheuristic, machine learning and statistical.
Regarding the media, we are especially interested in machine learning algorithms, which can, for example, liberate journalists from dull and more repetitive tasks, such as analyzing big amounts of data. Some of their uses for image recognition include identifying an object as a digital image, based on the intensity of pixels in black and white images or colour images.
Another use is the translation of speech into text. Certain software applications can convert live voice and recorded speech into a text file, but also can be used in voice activated assistants. Machine learning can also be used to extract structured information from unstructured data. A machine learning algorithm automates the process of annotating datasets for predictive analytics tools, which can be used by data journalists.
