What an Algorithm Is

Abstract

The algorithm, a building block of computer science, is defined from an intuitive and pragmatic point of view, through a methodological lens of philosophy rather than that of formal computation. The treatment extracts properties of abstraction, control, structure, finiteness, effective mechanism, and imperativity, and intentional aspects of goal and preconditions. The focus on the algorithm as a robust conceptual object obviates issues of correctness and minimality. Neither the articulation of an algorithm nor the dynamic process constitute the algorithm itself. Analysis for implications in computer science and philosophy reveals unexpected results, new questions, and new perspectives on current questions, including the relationship between our informally construed algorithms and Turing machines. Exploration in terms of current computational and philosophical thinking invites further developments.

Algorithmic rationality: Epistemology and efficiency in the data sciences

“…See, for example, the debates in Gurevich (2011) and Moschovakis (2001). For discussions definitional efforts from the secondary literature, see Hill (2015) and Seaver (2013). 5.…”

Social Media, E‐Health, and Medical Ethics

“…Algorithmically mediated inequalities are exacerbated by the fact that algorithms are often built and treated as “black boxes” that obscure the specific factors guiding their decision process . Even when the “algorithm” in question involves easy‐to‐understand automated calculations, simply stating that an “algorithm” is used to inform decision‐making can serve as a way to convey technical legitimacy to a decision process . In these cases, technology developers should incorporate transparency in the design process and create appeal mechanisms involving human consultation, especially when algorithms are used to allocate care or resources.…”

Ciencia de la computación y filosofía: unidades de análisis del software

“…Otras formas de -morfismo son también discutidas en la bibliografía especializada, como por ejemplo en el trabajo de Blass (2009) y Blass y Gurevich (2003. 15 Los trabajos de Robin Hill (2015) y Raymond Turner (2014) exponen lo complejo que puede ser la noción de algoritmo y, por lo tanto, cuándo dos algoritmos son el mismo. 16 Hay varios problemas filosóficos relacionados con la idea de 'similaridad estructural' que no podemos abordar aquí.…”