What are algebraic models?

There's a problem and it says to use an algebraic models to answer the questions.
I don't know what those are?

I searched Google under the key words "algebraic models" to get these possible sources:

http://frank.itlab.us/datamodel/node14.html
http://www.delta-education.com/productdetail.aspx?Collection=Y&prodID=2145&menuID=
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/cv/TenWork/Slides/Morton.pdf
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=124497

In the future, you can find the information you desire more quickly, if you use appropriate key words to do your own search. Also see http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/.