Big-O Cheat Sheet Download PDF

Know Thy Complexities!

Hi there! This webpage covers the space and time Big-O complexities of common algorithms used in Computer
Science. When preparing for technical interviews in the past, I found myself spending hours crawling the internet
putting together the best, average, and worst case complexities for search and sorting algorithms so that I wouldn't
be stumped when asked about them. Over the last few years, I've interviewed at several Silicon Valley startups, and
also some bigger companies, like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Uber, and each time that I prepared for
an interview, I thought to myself "Why hasn't someone created a nice Big-O cheat sheet?". So, to save all of you fine
folks a ton of time, I went ahead and created one. Enjoy! - Eric

Check out El Grapho, a graph data visualization library that supports millions
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Big-O Complexity Chart

Horrible Bad Fair Good Excellent

O(n!) O(2^n)
O(n^2)

O(n log n)
Operations

O(n)

O(log n), O(1)

Elements
 Common Data Structure Operations
Space
Data Structure Time Complexity
Complexity
Average Worst Worst
Access Search Insertion Deletion Access Search Insertion Deletion
Array Θ(1) Θ(n) Θ(n) Θ(n) O(1) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n)

Stack Θ(n) Θ(n) Θ(1) Θ(1) O(n) O(n) O(1) O(1) O(n)

Queue Θ(n) Θ(n) Θ(1) Θ(1) O(n) O(n) O(1) O(1) O(n)

Singly-Linked List Θ(n) Θ(n) Θ(1) Θ(1) O(n) O(n) O(1) O(1) O(n)

Doubly-Linked List Θ(n) Θ(n) Θ(1) Θ(1) O(n) O(n) O(1) O(1) O(n)

Skip List Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n log(n))

Hash Table N/A Θ(1) Θ(1) Θ(1) N/A O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n)

Binary Search Tree Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n)

Cartesian Tree N/A Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) N/A O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n)

B-Tree Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(n)

Red-Black Tree Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(n)

Splay Tree N/A Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) N/A O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(n)

AVL Tree Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(log(n)) O(n)

KD Tree Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) Θ(log(n)) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n) O(n)

Array Sorting Algorithms

Algorithm Time Complexity Space Complexity
Best Average Worst Worst
Quicksort Ω(n log(n)) Θ(n log(n)) O(n^2) O(log(n))

Mergesort Ω(n log(n)) Θ(n log(n)) O(n log(n)) O(n)

Timsort Ω(n) Θ(n log(n)) O(n log(n)) O(n)

Heapsort Ω(n log(n)) Θ(n log(n)) O(n log(n)) O(1)

Bubble Sort Ω(n) Θ(n^2) O(n^2) O(1)

Insertion Sort Ω(n) Θ(n^2) O(n^2) O(1)

Selection Sort Ω(n^2) Θ(n^2) O(n^2) O(1)

Tree Sort Ω(n log(n)) Θ(n log(n)) O(n^2) O(n)

Shell Sort Ω(n log(n)) Θ(n(log(n))^2) O(n(log(n))^2) O(1)

Bucket Sort Ω(n+k) Θ(n+k) O(n^2) O(n)

Radix Sort Ω(nk) Θ(nk) O(nk) O(n+k)

Counting Sort Ω(n+k) Θ(n+k) O(n+k) O(k)

Cubesort Ω(n) Θ(n log(n)) O(n log(n)) O(n)

Learn More
Cracking the Coding Interview: 150 Programming Questions and Solutions
Introduction to Algorithms, 3rd Edition
Data Structures and Algorithms in Java (2nd Edition)
High Performance JavaScript (Build Faster Web Application Interfaces)

Get the Official Big-O Cheat Sheet Poster

 Contributors
Eric Rowell Quentin Pleple Michael Abed Nick Dizazzo Adam Forsyth Felix Zhu Jay Engineer
Josh Davis Nodir Turakulov Jennifer Hamon David Dorfman Bart Massey Ray Pereda Si Pham
Mike Davis mcverry Max Hoffmann Bahador Saket Damon Davison Alvin Wan Alan Briolat
Drew Hannay Andrew Rasmussen Dennis Tsang Vinnie Magro Adam Arold Alejandro Ramirez
Aneel Nazareth Rahul Chowdhury Jonathan McElroy steven41292 Brandon Amos Joel Friedly
Casper Van Gheluwe Eric Lefevre-Ardant Oleg Renfred Harper Piper Chester Miguel Amigot Apurva K
Matthew Daronco Yun-Cheng Lin Clay Tyler Orhan Can Ozalp Ayman Singh David Morton
Aurelien Ooms Sebastian Paaske Torholm Koushik Krishnan Drew Bailey Robert Burke

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Name

Michael Mitchell • 8 years ago

This is great. Maybe you could include some resources
(links to khan academy, mooc etc) that would explain
each of these concepts for people trying to learn them.
378 △ ▽ 1 • Reply •
Amanda Harlin > Michael Mitchell • 8 years ago
Yes! Please & thank you
82 △ ▽ • Reply •

Asim Ahmad > Amanda Harlin

• 3 years ago
Can you Explain the Above Algorithm.??
△ ▽ 8 • Reply •

Anonymous > Asim Ahmad

• 3 years ago
Mr.
you can learn these algorithms
easily in google by searching
Don't always ask or wait for
someone to post things for you go
out and search on internet
You will find everything you want to
learn

If you are a beginner in Data

structures and algorithms then visit
mycodeschool youtube channel
and learn there
if you want more then email me at
[email protected] I will help
you as much as I can
30 △ ▽ 10 • Reply •

Careerdrill > Anonymous

• 6 months ago
https://www.careerdrill.com/
△ ▽ • Reply •

Trey Huffine > Asim Ahmad

• 2 months ago
https://skilled.dev provides a
detailed explanation
△ ▽ • Reply •

Cam Cecil > Michael Mitchell • 7 years ago

This explanation in 'plain English' helps:
http://stackoverflow.com/qu...
35 △ ▽ 1 • Reply •

Richard Wheatley > Cam Cecil

• 5 years ago
this is plain english.
14 △ ▽ 2 • Reply •

Arjan Nieuwenhuizen > Michael Mitchell

• 7 years ago • edited
Here are the links that I know of.

#1) http://aduni.org/courses/al...
#2) http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/...
#3) https://www.udacity.com/cou...

probably as good or maybe better # 2, but I have

not had a chance to look at it.
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/...
Sincerely,
Arjan

p.s.
https://www.coursera.org/co...
This course has just begun on coursera (dated 1
July 2013), and looks very good.
21 △ ▽ • Reply •

fireheron > Arjan Nieuwenhuizen

• 7 years ago
Thank you Arjan. Espaecially the
coursera.org one ;-)
5△ ▽ • Reply •

@hangtwentyy > fireheron

• 6 years ago
also this!
http://opendatastructures.org
7△ ▽ • Reply •

yth > @hangtwentyy • 6 years ago

thank you for sharing this.
1△ ▽ • Reply •

Eduardo Sánchez > Michael Mitchell • 5 years ago

There is an amazing tutorial for Big O form Derek
Banas in Youtube, that guy is amazing
explaining!!!

see more

10 △ ▽ • Reply •

Sudhanshu Mishra > Eduardo Sánchez

• 4 years ago
Cool! This is a more than adequate
introduction! Thanks a ton for sharing!
1△ ▽ • Reply •

Mohammed Hameed > Eduardo Sánchez

• a year ago
Thanks...
△ ▽ • Reply •

CodeMunkey > Michael Mitchell • 4 years ago

Not sure if this helps, but here's a more visual
 learner for some of these algorithms - if you're
interested. http://visualgo.net
3△ ▽ • Reply •

Divyendra Patil > Michael Mitchell • 3 years ago

www.codenza.us
1△ ▽ • Reply •

Trey Huffine > Michael Mitchell • 2 months ago

https://skilled.dev/ for a detailed explanation on
Big O
△ ▽ • Reply •

Abby Jones > Michael Mitchell • a year ago

Fabulous idea!
△ ▽ • Reply •

Jeshika Morneau > Michael Mitchell • 2 years ago

Or you could have supplied them in your comment
instead.
△ ▽ • Reply •

nate lipp > Michael Mitchell • 3 years ago

This is a well put together introduction
https://www.interviewcake.c...
△ ▽ • Reply •

Nhập Hàng Ngoại > Michael Mitchell • 4 years ago

http://fashionfor.life/t-sh...

see more

△ ▽ 13 • Reply •

Blake Jennings • 7 years ago

i'm literally crying
101 △ ▽ • Reply •

friend > Blake Jennings • 4 years ago

you give me a big o
5△ ▽ • Reply •

Gokce Toykuyu • 8 years ago

Could we add some tree algorithms and complexities?
Thanks. I really like the Red-Black trees ;)
90 △ ▽ • Reply •

ericdrowell Mod > Gokce Toykuyu • 8 years ago

Excellent idea. I'll add a section that compares
insertion, deletion, and search complexities for
specific data structures
31 △ ▽ • Reply •

yash bedi > ericdrowell • 4 years ago

its been 4 years you haven't added that
section :)
△ ▽ • Reply •

Elliot Géhin > yash bedi

• 4 years ago
It's up there Yash, bottom of the
first table
1△ ▽ • Reply •

Ahsan Sukamuljo > yash bedi

• 6 months ago
fuck off asshole
△ ▽ 2 • Reply •

Jonathan Neufeld > Gokce Toykuyu • 3 years ago

Where I come from we use trees on a regular
rotation
3△ ▽ • Reply •

Valentin Stanciu • 8 years ago

1. Deletion/insertion in a single linked list is
implementation dependent. For the question of "Here's a
pointer to an element, how much does it take to delete
it?", single-linked lists take O(N) since you have to search
for the element that points to the element being deleted.
Double-linked lists solve this problem.
2. Hashes come in a million varieties. However with a
good distribution function they are O(logN) worst case.
Using a double hashing algorithm, you end up with a
worst case of O(loglogN).
3. For trees, the table should probably also contain heaps
and the complexities for the operation "Get Minimum".
63 △ ▽ • Reply •

Alexis Mas > Valentin Stanciu • 6 years ago

If you a list: A B C D, When you want to delete B,
you can delete a node without iterating over the
list.

1. B.data = C.data
2. B.next = C.next
3. delete C

If you can't copy data between nodes because its

too expensive then yes, it's O(N)
6△ ▽ 1 • Reply •

Miguel > Alexis Mas • 6 years ago

You still have to find the position in the list,
which can only be done linearly.
7△ ▽ • Reply •

Guest > Miguel

• 6 years ago • edited
You still have to find the position in
the list, which can only be done
linearly.
3△ ▽ • Reply •

Alexis Mas > Miguel

• 6 years ago
Yes of course, If you need to search
the node it's O(n), otherwise you
can delete it as I stated before.
1△ ▽ • Reply •

Guest > Alexis Mas • 6 years ago

No need to find the position if you
can delete it as Alexis mentioned
2△ ▽ 1 • Reply •

OmegaNemesis28 > Alexis Mas

• 6 years ago • edited
To get to B - you HAVE to iterate over the
list though. You can't just manipulate B
without a pointer. So unless you do book-
keeping and have pointers to specific
nodes you intend to delete/manipulate,
LinkLists are O(n) insert and delete.
3△ ▽ • Reply •

Alexis Mas > OmegaNemesis28

• 6 years ago
Strictly speaking no, you don't. let's
say you have this function.

public void delete(Node node)

That function doesn't care how did

you got that node.

Did you got my point?

When you have a pointer to a node,

and that node needs to be deleted
you don't need to iterave over the
list.
1△ ▽ 2 • Reply •

Sam Lehman > Alexis Mas

• 6 years ago
But in order to get to that pointer,
you probably need to iterate
through the list
2△ ▽ • Reply •

OmegaNemesis28 > Alexis Mas

• 6 years ago • edited
But that is MY point :p

You have to have the node FIRST.

 ou a e to a e t e ode S
You have to iterate through the list