The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

Dr. James McCaffrey of Microsoft Research says that when quantum computing becomes generally available, evolutionary algorithms for training huge neural networks could become a very important and ...

Algorithms are a staple of modern life. People rely on algorithmic recommendations to wade through deep catalogs and find the best movies, routes, information, products, people and investments.

At the core of reinforcement learning is the concept that the optimal behavior or action is reinforced by a positive reward. Similar to toddlers learning how to walk who adjust actions based on the ...

Artificial intelligence has given us algorithms capable of recognizing faces, diagnosing disease, and of course, crushing computer games. But even the smartest algorithms can sometimes behave in ...