Algorithms to Live By
by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
Computer science applied to human decisions: optimal stopping (the 37 percent rule), explore/exploit, sorting, caching, scheduling, Bayes, overfitting, game theory. Clever, rigorous and practical.
Read it if…
you want decision rules with mathematical backing.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you dislike any math.
Try instead: The Alignment Problem →
Three things you will actually use
- Look at 37 percent, then leap at the next best.
- Explore early; exploit late.
- Satisfice; it is optimal.
Do this first
Apply the 37 percent rule to your next search (apartment, hire, parking).
Our verdict
Decision rules from computer science.
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