Needleman–Wunsch algorithm

The Needleman–Wunsch algorithm is like a game. It helps us figure out the best way to match up two strings, which are usually pieces of DNA or proteins. At the start, the two strings are placed side by side on a grid. The algorithm then looks at two neighboring characters from each string and determines which of them are more similar. A point will be given if the two characters from the two strings match up, and a point is taken away if they don't match up. The algorithm will then do this for all of the letters in the two strings. Points are also given or taken away if spaces are added between the letters. We move around the grid and keep giving points until there are no more letters left. At the end, the algorithm will tell us how many points we have. The goal is to get the highest number of points, which means the two strings are the most similar.