What are the best ways to explain your algorithm's logic and purpose to other developers?

1 Use simple and consistent terminology

One of the first steps to explain your algorithm is to use simple and consistent terminology that everyone can understand. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, or ambiguous words that might confuse or mislead your audience. For example, instead of saying "we use a BFS to traverse the graph", you could say "we use a breadth-first search to visit every node in the network". If you have to use a technical term, make sure to define it or provide an example.

2 Provide a high-level overview

Before diving into the details of your algorithm, it's helpful to provide a high-level overview that summarizes its main goal, input, output, and steps. This way, you can give your audience a clear idea of what your algorithm does and why it matters. For example, you could say "our algorithm sorts a list of numbers in ascending order by repeatedly swapping adjacent elements that are out of order". This gives a concise and accurate description of the algorithm's logic and purpose.

3 Use diagrams and pseudocode

Another way to explain your algorithm is to use diagrams and pseudocode to illustrate its structure and flow. Diagrams can help you visualize the data structures, operations, and transitions involved in your algorithm. Pseudocode can help you write the steps of your algorithm in a simplified and standardized way that is close to natural language. For example, you could use a diagram to show how your algorithm partitions an array for quicksort, and use pseudocode to show how it recursively sorts the subarrays.

4 Explain the trade-offs and assumptions

Every algorithm has its trade-offs and assumptions that affect its performance, complexity, and suitability for different scenarios. To explain your algorithm effectively, you should also explain these trade-offs and assumptions, and how they relate to your design choices and constraints. For example, you could say "our algorithm uses extra space to store the intermediate results, but it reduces the time complexity from O(n^2) to O(n log n)". You could also say "our algorithm assumes that the input list has no duplicates, otherwise it might produce incorrect output".

5 Compare and contrast with other algorithms

Finally, one of the best ways to explain your algorithm is to compare and contrast it with other algorithms that solve the same or similar problems. This can help you highlight the advantages and disadvantages of your algorithm, and show how it differs from or improves upon existing solutions. For example, you could say "our algorithm is faster than bubble sort, but slower than merge sort". You could also say "our algorithm is more robust than linear search, but less efficient than binary search".

By following these tips and best practices, you can explain your algorithm's logic and purpose to other developers in a clear and effective way. This can help you collaborate better, learn from each other, and improve your algorithm skills.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?