Mathematics
Kruskal's Algorithm for Building Minimum Spanning Trees
Quick fact
Kruskal's algorithm can always find the minimum spanning tree of any connected, weighted graph, and it does so by simply sorting edges by weight and adding the smallest safe edge, guaranteeing an optimal solution.
Why this is interesting
How can you connect all the cities in a region with the least total length of road, without building any loops? The answer uses a surprisingly simple rule: always pick the cheapest road that doesn't create a cycle.