Algorithms Decoded

My 10 year old recently taught himself how to solve a rubix cube. His perseverance in learning how to do it, all by himself, is a story for another day. Today, I want to concentrate on decoding / deconstructing the word… ALGORITHM. While he was looking at videos that showed how to solve the cube, I kept hearing the word algorithm. A word that we normally associate with solving some analytical or computer science related problem. However, the more I thought about it, I realised that each of us follow algorithms every day, without even realising it. An algorithm is just a step of logical sequences that we follow to solve or do something. The if, else statements in an algorithm are the decisions that we take when we meet obstacles in doing something…anything.

Algorithms are what we follow whether we are cooking, travelling, planning a party or writing a code to solve a complex routing decision for a logistics company. Most people are scared of algorithms and most experts try to scare them, using these words. But just sit back and think, would you be scared if I called a recipe, an algorithm ? Well, an algorithm is nothing but a recipe to be followed to arrive at a desired solution. So, next time someone tries to scare you by using such jargons, ask them to take a chill pill. If you are smart enough to follow a set of logical steps to reach your workplace on time every day, take decisions about detours or alternative routes to follow when one route is blocked due to a traffic congestion caused by some untoward event like an accident or  a political rally, you are smart enough to write a few steps to solve your work problems and these are your Algorithms.  

#algorithmsaresimple #jargons #ownyouralogorithms #skillup