The server hall at Facebook’s European data storage centre in Lulea, Sweden. Simon Dawson / Bloomberg.
The server hall at Facebook’s European data storage centre in Lulea, Sweden. Simon Dawson / Bloomberg.

What is an algorithm and how does it work?



An algorithm is just a series of instructions – a set of rules to solve a problem. You can perform one in your head or with a pencil. But if there is one thing computers are brilliant at, it’s following rules, and the most important algorithms today are all performed by computers, and written in programming language that computers can understand.

Type anything into Google and powerful algorithms spring into action to rank each page for you: does it contain the right keywords? How old is it? What else links to it? For predictive policing, they take information on what crime has been committed, where and when, and run it through a sophisticated predictive model and then spit out areas where they think crimes are likely to be committed. The prediction itself is hard to explain, but some have been known to be based on algorithms used to predict the aftershocks of earthquakes.

In practice, there might be thousands of such instructions, constantly changing as algorithms learn. The actual machinations of algorithms themselves are closely-held corporate secrets. Look underneath all the code, all the technology and sophistication, and each algorithm, deep down, is just an idea of how to solve a problem. But nothing in an algorithm is above argument or challenge.

Carl Miller is the research director at think tank Demos in the UK.

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The low down

Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films

Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

Rating: 2/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

MATCH INFO

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)

Man of the match Harry Kane

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE