system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What's the difference between a formula and an algorithm? How does an algorithm work?
gpt
An algorithm is a sequence of steps. A formula, on the other hand, is an expression of information.

For example:

The volume of  a sphere is represented by the formula: 

V = 4/3 π r3

That formula encodes the volume of a sphere based on it's radius. There are no steps in the formula, just information (The relationship between the radius and volume of a sphere). 

To calculate the volume of a sphere you might use the algorithm:

1. Cube the radius
2. Multiply by π
3. Multiply by 4/3

but notice that the above algorithm doesn't describe the formula it self, it describes how to apply the formula and get a result. 

 A Genetic algorithm, however, can be expressed as a series of steps, but there is no concise representation for the information within a Genetic algorithm. i.e. there is no formula.