# What are Algorithms?

There's been a growing public interest in algorithms in recent years, and this shift has in some ways created an idea that algorithms are far more complex and advanced than they actually are or need to be. In essence, an algorithm can be thought of as:

> A set of instructions that typically help to solve a problem.

![](/files/-LrPm32pUFisbdKTja8e)

## Algorithms in Generative Design

A generative design approach involves several steps with distinct types of algorithms that encode logic at each step.

The methods used in each step are very different from each other, so we generally categorize them in the following way:

| Step                               | Algorithm Type |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------- |
| generation of new design studies   | generators     |
| evaluation of each study           | evaluators     |
| ranking and solution achieves goal | solvers        |


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://www.generativedesign.org/02-deeper-dive/02-01_algorithms/02-01-01_what-are-algorithms.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.