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Big O Notes

This document summarizes common Big O time complexities and their definitions: O(1) represents constant time, O(log n) is logarithmic time, O(n) is linear time, O(n log n) is linearithmic time, and O(n^2) is polynomial time. It also defines the Omega, Theta, and Big O notations for describing the best, average, and worst case time complexities of algorithms. Non-dominant terms and constants are dropped when simplifying Big O expressions.

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200 views1 page

Big O Notes

This document summarizes common Big O time complexities and their definitions: O(1) represents constant time, O(log n) is logarithmic time, O(n) is linear time, O(n log n) is linearithmic time, and O(n^2) is polynomial time. It also defines the Omega, Theta, and Big O notations for describing the best, average, and worst case time complexities of algorithms. Non-dominant terms and constants are dropped when simplifying Big O expressions.

Uploaded by

timbouma6
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Big O Basic Concepts:

• O(1): Constant Time


• Doesn't depend on the size of the data set.
• Example: Accessing an array element by its index.
• O(log n): Logarithmic Time
• Splits the data in each step (divide and conquer).
• Example: Binary search.
• O(n): Linear Time
• Directly proportional to the data set size.
• Example: Looping through an array.
• O(n log n): Linearithmic Time
• Splits and sorts or searches data.
• Example: Merge sort, quick sort.
• O(n2): Polynomial Time
• Nested loops for each power of n.
2
• Example: Bubble sort (O(n )).

Omega (Ω) – Best Case


• What it means: Omega (Ω) describes the best-case scenario for an algorithm.
• In simple terms: It tells you the fastest an algorithm can run in the best
circumstances.

Theta (Θ) – Average Case


• In simple terms: It tells you what to generally expect in terms of time complexity.

Big O (O) - Worst Case


• What it means: Big O (O) describes the worst-case scenario for an algorithm.
• In simple terms: It tells you the slowest an algorithm can run in the worst
circumstances.

Other Concepts:
• Drop Non-Dominant Terms
2 2
• In O(n + n), focus on O(n ) as it will dominate for large n.
• Drop Constants
• O(2n) simplifies to O(n).

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