Fascinated With The Algorithm

According to Wikipedia, in mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is a self-contained step-by-step set of operations to be performed. Algorithms perform a calculation, data processing, and/or automated reasoning tasks. These often very abstract inventions are increasingly guiding our personal and professional worlds from deciding what we read on Facebook, scanning the videos uploaded to your Twitter and Vine feed, to whether or not you might commit a crime again, and even predict potential police misconduct.

I see the concept of an algorithm applied in many different ways, some are very simple and easy to understand, and some are not so easy to understand, and operate as black boxes. One of the reasons I like APIs so much is the possibility of introducing some transparency into how algorithms work (or don't). APIs do not give visibility into the inner workings of algorithms by default, but when they are done right they can significantly contribute to a wider understanding of how they work. 

As with other areas of the API space that I research, I'm intrigued with algorithms, how they are being used, and the role APIs can play in the wider conversation. I added an APIs and algorithms research project, to help be understand how algorithms are being wielded, the news, companies, and code and schemas which are framing the conversation. The information I aggregate here will fuel my overall perspective of the intersection of API and algorithms, and maybe yours too.