Algorithmic Folklore

Summary

Algorithmic folklore indicates both folklore that develops around algorithms, and folklore that is algorithmic in nature. The concept of algorithmic folklore has existed long before the earliest uses of these two terms were combined around the early 2020s to capture a specific articulation of folklore and algorithms: the emergence of informal vernacular practices inflected by the growing global relevance of algorithmic media. As recognized by literature across disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, ethnomathematics, media studies, and sociology, the relationship between folklore and algorithms can be traced back to ancient history and correlated to the development of an algorithmic culture that directly connects medieval mathematics to contemporary computational technologies. In spite of its relatively short history as a theoretical concept, algorithmic folklore encapsulates a consistent but shifting relationship shaping how humans interact with technology.