I would presume that processors do division using some more efficient method, given that they don't seem to take an hour when I tell them to divide seven into two billion, but how do they do it?

Learn what an algorithm is with this KS1 primary computing guide from BBC Bitesize for years 1 and 2. We will define what an algorithm is and how they work.

So, an algorithm is the process a computer uses to transform input data into output data. A simple concept, and yet every piece of technology that you touch involves many algorithms.

Do we have to let algorithms off the hook? Even if what Elkus says is true, some might suggest that algorithms can complicate existing prejudices and other issues.