Is "what algorithm could solve my problem?" off topic?

Question

This question asks what kind of algorithm could be used to solve a particular problem. It has received a close vote as a resource request. That was my first instict, too, but actually asking about algorithms is not covered in the close vote reason:

Questions asking us to find or recommend tools, libraries, programming languages, resources (including books, blogs, tutorials, and examples), or projects to undertake are off-topic on Programmers as they attract opinionated answers that won't have lasting value to others.

An algorithm is arguably not a tool, library, language, resource, or project.

Also the difference could be seen as significant. "What algorithm could solve my problem" could be seen as "How can I approach/solve this problem?" rather than merely a shopping request. I could easily see such a question being rewritten so that it did not attract close votes (yet received substantively the same kind of answers). The same is not true of a question like "What programming language should I use?"

Note: I'm not arguing the linked question is good; it also seems quite vague and broad, so it should probably be closed or improved regardless. But I'm still interested in this question from a theoretical standpoint.

Answer 1

On one hand, when you're asking for an algorithm, you're also asking for the information to implement it - either a library, a book or paper, an example. On the other hand, choosing an algorithm is clearly part of software design, which is on-topic.

I closed the question as being too broad, since I think that fits the best. The primary reason why we don't allow resource requests is that finding documents is the job for a search engine and rarely requires human expertise. We're best at writing answers that not only draw on published material, but also personal knowledge and experience.

If the question scope was narrowed to describe the problem and intended outcome in more detail, I think the question would be OK. If you take the core of the question now ("machine learning algorithm for Stock Market Prediction model using Deep Neural Networks"), you end up with several posts on different sites with techniques. However, if the problem is described more, it becomes something that's not really searchable, but would require human expertise.

If the asker does what we ask in the how to ask a good question article in the Help Center, then some burden also goes to the answerer to not just name algorithms and throw out links, but to write a good answer that stands on its own and gives future readers sufficient information to have a solution.