Algorithms are central to modern mathematics and computer science. They are explicit procedures valued for their clarity, efficiency and beauty. Beyond these fields, however, the word “algorithm” is most likely to evoke social media feeds, targeted advertising or a combination of the two of the two.
Through algorithms, mathematics has become culturally visible as the force behind opaque processes – with unsettling consequences. Public familiarity with algorithms has grown much faster than familiarity with the mathematical ideas they embody.
