When I first learned to program coming up with the algorithm was everything. I thought of how to move the data, compare it, and finally compute and represent th

When I first learned to program coming up with the algorithm was everything. I thought of how to move the data, compare it, and finally compute and represent the solution. As I grow more experienced the algorithms come naturally. I now think in terms of rules, context and complexity. I mostly think about distributed algorithms and the key to me is always a small set of rules that all nodes must follow. Rules are generally reactions to events, involving communication and/or state changes. Much of the time the rules follow from some constraint, such as complexity requirements or limited information. There are often different possibilities so you consider the trade-offs based on your context. I approach computational problems in the same way. I figure out data elements need to interact and then come up with some reactive rules. The computation is the chain-reaction of those rules. The algorithm follows from the rules. Essentially it is a formalization of the ideas into an iterative instruction framework. The algorithm can then be implemented on a computer by any competent engineer and may be analyzed mathematically (e.g. for formal proofs).