How to understand algorithms.

An ALGORITHM is a step by step procedure for completing a task.

However, there are many ways to complete certain tasks. So usually, algorithms are an EFFICIENT method for completing a task.

For instance, how would you go about organizing these marbles into groups based on their color? What would be your method for doing it quickly?

Or how would you organize these marbles by color and size?

Algorithms are used in computer science to process information faster. If a person uses a bad algorithm then certain tasks will take longer (For example, Windows 95 takes forever to load. hehe)

Let's see how we might try to organize these marbles:

Our first step might be to SEPARATE the marbles by color one color group at a time.

So you pick out the white marbles, and then the blue marbles and then the yellow marbles etc.

Another method we could use is to separate two marbles at a time for each color.

So we separate out two white marbles, then two blue marbles, then two yellow marbles and then repeat it.

Which of these two algorithms is faster?

It really depends on what you are doing.

Information in the computer world is made of bunches of BYTES (little pieces of data).

When your Youtube video is loading, it is trying to load the data using an algorithm (It is moving marbles).

If the first method is used, it would take a long to buffer, but never pause once it starts playing.

If the second method is used, you would buffer a little, then it would play a little. It would buffer some more, then it would play some more.

Its all about the ALGORITHM!

Do you know an algorithm for solving the RUBIK's cube?

This is a diagram of an algorithm that takes a large number and puts the numbers in increasing order. Once you have a good algorithm, you can use it over and over to solve the same problem.

And that is the gist of ALGORITHMS!