How to determine POW algorithm from source code

[Chris Sokolowski]

Hi everyone,

I've been scratching my head over this one in the past few months, and I hope some wise person can provide help.  When new coins are created, many have with little documentation of essential parameters like their POW algorithm.  Many times I'll see a new market appear on an exchange and the only information about the coin is their source code (looking at you, C-CEX).  I've learned how to parse the code for variables like block time and number of confirmations, but I haven't found a way to determine the POW algorithm of any coin just by looking at the source code.  Does anyone know if this is possible to do, and if so, where could I find it in source code?

I appreciate any insights that can be provided.