computer science

Hilltop algorithm

Hilltop algorithm is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hilltop algorithm rather than just read about it. In short: The Hilltop algorithm is an algorithm used to find documents relevant to a particular keyword topic in news search. Created by Krishna Bharat while he was at Compaq Systems Research Center and George A.

Key takeaways

Hilltop algorithm belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hilltop algorithm to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hilltop algorithm from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Hilltop algorithm is an algorithm used to find documents relevant to a particular keyword topic in news search. Created by Krishna Bharat while he was at Compaq Systems Research Center and George A. Mihăilă University of Toronto, it was acquired by Google for use in its news results in February 2003. When you enter a query or keyword into the Google news search engine, the Hilltop algorithm helps to find relevant keywords whose results are more informative about the query or keyword. The algorithm operates on a special index of expert documents. These are pages that are about a specific topic and have links to many non-affiliated pages on that topic. The original algorithm relied on independent directories with categorized links to sites. Results are ranked based on the match between the query and relevant descriptive text for hyperlinks on expert pages pointing to a given result page. Websites which have backlinks from many of the best expert pages are authorities and are ranked well. Basically, it looks at the relationship between the "expert" and "authority" pages: an "expert" is a page that links to many other relevant documents; an "authority" is a page that has links pointing to it from the "expert" pages. Here they mean pages about a specific topic with links to many non-affiliated pages on that topic. If a website has backlinks from many of the best expert pages it will be an "authority".

See also PageRank TrustRank HITS algorithm Domain authority Search engine optimization

References

External links Krishna Bharat at Crunchbase Interview with Krishna Bharat Business Today, June 6, 2004 Archived April 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine When Experts Agree: Using Non-Affiliated Experts to Rank Popular Topics by K. Bharat and G. A. Mihaila is substantially the same, but under a different title. Modernluxury

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hilltop algorithm

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hilltop algorithm claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hilltop algorithm before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hilltop algorithm ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hilltop algorithm

In research: Hilltop algorithm appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hilltop algorithm in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hilltop algorithm is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Algorithms and data structures stubs, Google Search, Reputation management, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hilltop algorithm outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hilltop algorithm in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hilltop algorithm means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hilltop algorithm out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hilltop algorithm in simple terms?

Why does Hilltop algorithm matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hilltop algorithm?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hilltop algorithm.