"I want to learn more about computer science," was how many of the students explained their choice of the "Algorithm" workshop with Prof. Michael Brinkmeier. As part of the Summer Academy of the Osnabrück Student Research Center, they had favored this course out of 12 offers. Some already had previous knowledge of programming, some not yet, but all were very interested in finding out and learning more. With a brief introduction to the origins of the algorithm in Central Asia and the work of Euclid, they were introduced to the structure and working with an algorithm. In order to apply what they had learned, they were then allowed to ask an oracle for a number. The aim was to develop an algorithm to find out this number with as few questions as possible. The students demonstrated a logical approach that enabled them to find the number quickly. When implementing the procedure on the computer, one pupil was ambitious: "Can we also enter the speed of light?". The pupils were also able to demonstrate their skills in small groups in other tasks. For example, they developed different sorting algorithms themselves to put paper cups with hidden numbers in the correct order by briefly revealing them. At the end of the workshop, Prof. Michael Brinkmeier concluded "You were faster than planned".
