PageRank
Technology is so heavily infused in our daily lives and information can be found easily by just using search engines like google, yahoo etc, typing in keywords and the relevant details will be displayed. But how do they operate ?
What is PageRank?
PageRank is an algorithm developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google, to help users find more relevant and important information more easily. Using a combination of mathematical ideas such as graph theory, and linear algebra alongside more simple concepts like probability.
PageRank can be confusing with all the intricacies that make up such an advanced algorithm, but a good place to start will always be an explanation in simple terms, (courtesy of Udacity) followed by some key facts and definitions:
What kind of scale does PageRank use?
PageRank uses a logarithmic scale from 0-10 to score to pages rather than a linear scale. PageRank and this score could previously be found in the toolbar of the browser with the required Google extensions.
What is a Backlink?
A backlink of a page is a link that is directed to it from any other page. For example, a page A has a link to page B, then B has a backlink from A. These links are the more important type when calculating the PageRank score.
What structure do the links from pages make?
When considering pages and links, PageRank forms a network with the pages as nodes and links as weighted edges. This forms a network in the mathematical sense that is studied in graph theory.