The algorithms’ part 1.

Algorithms in Ordinary and routine life.

What if I say almost everything, we do in our daily lives has an algorithmic pattern! Or we do our routine activities according to an algorithm!

 Mind perplexing, huh?

People often misunderstand that computer associated things are omnipotent and pretty remote from ordinary life. People conjure images of tech wizards using multiple screens when they perceive the word algorithms. But as per my perspective computational concepts lie deep in our ordinary lives and of course in nature.

First, let’s see what is an algorithm?

An algorithm is a set of well-defined steps (finite number of instructions) or rules that you need to follow to obtain a pre-determined result.

Let’s pause for a moment. Just scrutinize your daily routine on an ordinary day.

Let’s consider daily tasks you perform from the moment you wake up till you go to the bed at night. If you inspect meticulously, every task is performed according to an algorithm. I have noticed sometimes it’s like a mini algorithm hidden inside a big algorithm (Like an onion). Let’s reflect on the tasks performed from the moment you wake up till the moment you get ready to go to work. The final result you desire is to get ready so, the results are pre-determined.

1.        You get out of bed.

2.        You go to the washroom.

3.        You brush your teeth.

4.        You get a wash.

5.        You get dressed.

It is clearly seen that there are well-defined, finite number of steps inside mentioned processes. It is noticed that even inside one big task there may be minor tasks hidden (like an onion). (Well defined, finite number of steps which is needed to follow a pre-determined task.)

Let’s dig deep into the characteristics of an algorithm.

 

It’s obvious that algorithms are so pervasive as it governs life not only in daily chores but also beyond that.

Simple activities like sorting papers, Scheduling, prioritizing, Driving, and cooking according to a recipe are performed according to an algorithm.

Among thousands of scenarios where algorithms are utilized, below are some common scenarios where algorithms are utilized in routine life.

1.        Taxi and ride-hailing applications.

Taxi and ride-hailing applications like Uber, pick me, Lyft, Curb, etc. use algorithms in countless ways. Basically, they utilize path optimization algorithms, shortest pathfinding algorithms (e.g.: Dijkstra’s algorithm) coupled with other algorithms like time-driven algorithms.

2.        Food delivery service apps

These applications utilize some similar algorithms used in taxi-hailing apps to find the delivery place and many other related algorithms.

3.        Loyalty cards.

Loyalty cards are given to customers by many companies. They accelerate the customers’ buying potential by creating an opportunity to visit back.

 

Above mentioned scenarios do not just use algorithms to function. But also use the data for proactive data collection. The data collected through these applications(apps) are analyzed to take punctual decisions. The insights extracted through analysis of these data are used to tackle pain points that needed to be rectified. Nevertheless, these data are utilized to reinforce the business through efficiency and utilized to boost productivity.

For instance, Let’s take a loyalty card. Algorithms are used to analyze the data and predict several things like analyzing purchasing behavior and purchasing patterns (customer retention) from customer-wise, location-wise.

Also, Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok, etc. use algorithms to analyze user behavior. (Ad suggestions based upon search queries)

Apart from these, algorithms are used widely in business analytics. They use algorithms to analyze the pattern and utilize it to obtain predictions for expert systems in order to mitigate pitfalls that they might encounter in the future.

In a nutshell, I can bring up hundreds of instances that we use algorithms in our ordinary life.

The next episode of this is whether algorithmic concepts could be used to tackle ordinary issues.

 

Author : Hansi Munasinghe Hansi Munasinghe | LinkedIn

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