This is the world of full digitalization; the word “algorithm” appears everywhere from YouTube recommendations to bank loan processing and also in social media’s For You Page. Many of us hear this word daily but still get confused regarding what an algorithm really means and how it works.
Today in this blog, we are able to learn the full meaning of “algorithm” in English and Nepali. its synonyms, antonyms, real-life examples, and how the algorithm appears in our daily life. I have included easy tables, tense forms, and word forms so you can get full knowledge about the algorithm.
Pronunciation
al·go·rithm
/ˈæl.ɡə.rɪ.ðəm/ → “AL-go-rith-um”
Word Forms
| Type | Form | Simple Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | algorithm | rarely used as a verb— |
| Noun | algorithm | YouTube uses a secret algorithm for search. |
| Adjective | algorithmic | This decision was algorithmic, not human. |
| Adverb | algorithmically | The system sorts data algorithmically. |
The verb conjugation table (the base verb “algorithm” is very rare, so we use “run” / “use” / “develop the algorithm”)
| Form | Word/Phrase | Simple Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base Form V1 | run/use/develop | We run the algorithm every week. |
| Past Tense V2 | ran/used/developed | They developed a new algorithm last month. |
| Past Participle V3 | run/used/developed | Facebook has used this algorithm since 2008. |
| -ing Form | running/using/developing | The iPhone is running a face recognition algorithm now. |
| 3rd person singular | runs/uses/develops | TikTok uses a powerful algorithm. |
Meaning in English
An algorithm is a set of steps or rules that a computer follows to finish a task or solve a problem to enhance the performance.
नेपालीमा अर्थ– Algorithm Meaning in Nepali
कम्प्युटरले काम गर्न वा समस्या समाधान गर्न पालना गर्ने चरणहरूको सेट
Real-life Examples of algorithm
Algorithms are not only for computers. They impact almost everything we do online, as now we are always engaging on the internet. Here are some examples:
| Situation | Simple Example |
|---|---|
| Google Search | The ranking algorithm arranges websites from most relevant to least relevant. |
| Facebook/Instagram feed | Your feed is organized based on posts the system predicts you may like and suggests for you. |
| YouTube recommendations | Because of the YouTube algorithm, it keeps suggesting the similar videos that we have watched before. |
| Bank Loan approval | The bank uses scoring algorithms to check if someone meets the loan requirements. |
| Online shopping | Daraz’s algorithm suggests, “People also bought this,” as per your browsing history and search. |
Short Story: How Algorithms Impact Daily Life
Last week, my younger sister was surprised when her mobile suddenly started showing only makeup videos on YouTube. She asked me, “How does YouTube know I like makeup? I told her it is because of the algorithm. YouTube’s algorithm watches what we click, how long we watch videos, and what we skip and ignore. Then it quickly changes the feed to keep us scrolling.
An algorithm decides which posts appear first on Facebook and Instagram feeds. In banks, a different algorithm checks loan applications in seconds and says yes or no. On roads, even the traffic light areas in the Kathmandu Valley are now using a smart algorithm to reduce jams. These days almost everything around us is influenced by some kind of algorithm.
Nowadays, almost everyone uses TikTok. When we use TikTok, we spend much more time on some videos, like them, and comment on them; then we can see when scrolling that TikTok feeds suggest the same kinds of videos, so don’t be surprised. It is all because of the TikTok algorithm.
Synonyms of algorithm
- formula
- method
- process
- system
- code
- program
- technique
Antonyms of algorithm
- randomness
- chaos
- disorder
Algorithm in All 12 Tenses
| Tenses | Structure | Simple Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Subject + run(s) / use(s) the algorithm | Google runs a new algorithm every month. |
| Present Continuous | Subject + am/is/are + running/using | TikTok is running a new feed algorithm right now. |
| Present Perfect | Subject + have/has + run/used | Instagram has used the same algorithm for two years. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Subject + has/has been + running/using | Scientists have been developing better algorithms for ten years. |
| Past Simple | Subject + ran/used/developed | In 1998 Google introduced the PageRank algorithm. |
| Past Continuous | Subject + was/were + running/using | While we slept, the old algorithm was still running. |
| Past Perfect | Subject + had + run/used | By 2020 Facebook had already changed its algorithm many times. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Subject + had been + running/developing | They had been improving the algorithm for three years before launch. |
| Future Simple | Subject + will + run/use | Next year banks will use a fraud-detection algorithm. |
| Future Continuous | Subject + will be + running/using | In 2030 self-driving cars will be running advanced algorithms. |
| Future Perfect | Subject + will have + run/developed | By 2035 AI will have developed algorithms that write perfect code. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + will have been + improving | In five years the company will have been improving its algorithm nonstop. |
Useful Collocations
Questions/Quiz
1. Google ……………the PageRank algorithm in 1998.
a. Introduce b. developed
2. Instagram………. a new feed algorithm now.
a. is having b. is using
3. By 2035 AI ………. perfect coding algorithms.
a. will have developed b. developed
4. Opposite of algorithms =
a. disorder b. system
5. Fill in: YouTube’s ……….. shows me cooking videos.
a. showing b. algorithm
Quick Tips
- Never say the algorithm do; always say the algorithm runs/decides/shows.
- In interviews, I developed a sorting algorithm that is 30% faster.
Conclusion
Algorithms are everywhere. They decide what we watch, what we buy, how our mobiles behave, and even whether our bank loans get approved. With the help of getting knowledge about algorithms, we can be able to use the internet more wisely and be able to take beneficial decisions in this digital world.