What Is an Algorithm?

An algorithm is a step-by-step recipe the computer follows to solve a problem or learn from data.

Imagine it like this: A chocolate chip cookie recipe tells you exactly what to do, in order: mix the butter and sugar, add the eggs, add the flour, bake at 350°F. An algorithm is the same idea, except instead of cookies, it makes decisions or predictions.

Examples:

• The recipe a GPS uses to find the fastest route
• The recipe a model uses to learn from labeled data
• The recipe a game uses to decide the computer's next move

So? An algorithm is just a set of instructions — Machine Learning is just really clever recipes for finding patterns in data.