algorithm
algorithm — noun
1. an ordered list of steps, written for a computer or person, that always reaches
an ordered list of steps, written for a computer or person, that always reaches a correct answer to a clearly defined problem — for example, sorting a list of names or finding the shortest route on a map.
Nikolai wrote a simple algorithm to sort his music files by year.
algorithm to + verb pattern
The textbook explains an algorithm for finding the largest number in a list.
algorithm for + noun pattern
Ancient mathematicians used a step-by-step algorithm to find the greatest common divisor of two numbers.
Self-driving cars rely on complex algorithms to read traffic signs and avoid pedestrians.
Professor Lin asked the students to write the algorithm in plain English before coding it in Python.
文法句型
algorithm for + noun
algorithm to + verb
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, program, or machine that follows the steps. Frequently appears with verbs like write, design, run, implement. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names a general computational method; sense 2 names the specific ranking system inside a website or app.
常見錯誤
2. the hidden ranking system that an app, social platform, or news site uses to cho
the hidden ranking system that an app, social platform, or news site uses to choose which posts, videos, or products each user will see, often based on what the user has clicked or watched before.
After Kenji watched one cooking video, the algorithm filled his feed with recipe clips for a week.
the algorithm + verb (decides what to show)
Many small creators say the new algorithm hides their videos from regular viewers.
collocation: the new algorithm
Amara blamed the algorithm for showing her the same five sellers every time she opened the app.
The dating app changed its algorithm last month and Greta now sees very different profiles.
Newsroom editors worry that the platform's algorithm pushes angry headlines over careful reporting.
- feed
the visible result of the algorithm, not the system itself
- recommendation system
the formal technical term; less common in casual speech
文法句型
the algorithm decides/picks/shows
be tweaked/changed/updated
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' and treated as a singular agent that 'decides' or 'shows' things — a personification not used in sense 1. Common in everyday talk about TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, and online shopping.