I came across an interesting article in the Economist recently about the use of mathematical algorithms in business. An algorithm is essentially a procedure or formula for solving a problem. The speed and processing power of today’s computers mean that algorithms can execute tasks and solve problems at an incredible speed. Examples of algorithms used in business include the ones used by search-engine companies such as Google.
The Economist explains in their article how one can validate credit-card numbers using an algorithm called the Luhn algorithm. The algorithm, which was created by an IBM researcher more than 40 years ago, can be used to validate the numbers entered by consumers on an e-commerce site, for example, to keep processing times down.
