"The Friendship Algorithm" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on January 19, 2009. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro based on a story by Bill Prady and Richard Rosenstock.
Sheldon believes that Kripke (John Ross Bowie) controls the schedule for the "open science grid computer" that Sheldon needs to carry out some simulations vital to his research into the origins of the universe. Leonard also believes this, and tells Sheldon that only Kripke's friends get to use the grid computer.
This means that Sheldon must become friends with Kripke. Despite his disdain for the social sciences, Sheldon embarks on a systematic study of the algorithm for making friends, complete with questionnaires for his current friends.note
Sheldon goes to a bookstore to put the algorithm into action. Sheldon tries to bond with preteen girl. Leonard yanks Sheldon out before any security guard can get involved.
Even so, Sheldon feels confident about trying the algorithm on Kripke, and agrees to go rock wall climbing with him. Sheldon passes out while suspended a good twenty feet up from the ground. That's good enough, Kripke and Sheldon are now friends.
Fretting that he can't manage an expanding social circle, Sheldon decides that he must let go of one of his other friends to make room for Kripke. Raj is out because Sheldon didn't like Raj's answers on the questionnaire.
However, there's an official schedule for the grid computer and Kripke has no control over it. Sheldon immediately kicks Kripke out of his group of friends and reinstates Raj.
Tropes
- Actually Pretty Funny: Penny normally rolls her eyes at Howard's clumsy attempts to hit on her, but she can't help but stifle a smile after he remarks that "suddenly I'm looking pretty good, huh?" after Barry makes a crude pass at her himself.
- Expospeak Gag:Kripke: You alwight there, Cooper?
Sheldon: Not really. I feel somewhat like an inverse tangent function that’s approaching an asymptote.
Kripke: Are you saying you’re stuck?
Sheldon: What part of an inverse tangent function approaching an asymptote did you not understand? - Faint in Shock: Sheldon faints due to his fear of heights while rock climbing with Kripke. He's left hanging unconscious on the harness. He's still stull shown to have this problem at the end of the episode, though his friends note he at least came close to reaching the top.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Sheldon tries to scientifically analyze why people hang out with him. Also Kripke.
- Formula for the Unformulable: The titular friendship algorithm, shown as a flowchart. Howard has to add a loop counter when following the chart puts Sheldon into a potentially endless loop.
- Measuring the Marigolds: Sheldon coming up with an algorithm for making friends.
- Mistaken for Pedophile: The reason Sheldon can't make friends with the girl from the bookstore.Leonard: [as he escorts Sheldon out] Don't look up. There's cameras.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: After all the trouble Sheldon goes through to befriend Kripke for the purpose of getting to use the new computer, it turns out Kripke can't control the schedule.
- Truth in Television: The Open Science Grid is a real thing managed by the OSG Consortium
, which has pulled off some major feats of intensive scientific computation. According to the consortium's website,The OSG consortium of research collaborations, campuses, national laboratories, and software providers is dedicated to the advancement of all open science via the practice of distributed High Throughput Computing (dHTC), and to the advancement of its state of the art. Established in 2005, the OSG operates a fabric of dHTC services for the National S&E community.
