Widely used in mathematics and computer science, algorithms are well-defined, step-by-step sets of instructions or rules used to solve particular problems or achieve specific goals. These instructions can be given to a computer to perform a specific task. Algorithms underlie other types of computation, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data mining (a technique used in data science). WPI experts on algorithms use these tools for a wide range of innovative purposes, including building models of biological systems and human trafficking, detecting wound infections, identifying key predictors of suicide, and organizing robot swarms.