Big O gives an asymptotic upper bound on the growth of a function, commonly used for algorithm complexity.
What Is Big O Notation?
Big O gives an asymptotic upper bound on the growth of a function, commonly used for algorithm complexity.
Examples of Big O Notation
1
Binary search runs in O(log n).Formula and Key Points
Formula / rule
f(n)=O(g(n))
- Know the definition and standard notation for Big O Notation.
- Be able to recognise or compute big o notation in a small example.
- Connect the concept to nearby topics in the same subject before using it in larger CSE problems.
Why This Matters in Computer Science
Used to reason about running time, memory use, recursion, loop counts and the scalability of algorithms. The most common notation for communicating worst-case growth of algorithm time or memory.
Related Math Terms
Big O Notation: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Big O Notation?
Big O gives an asymptotic upper bound on the growth of a function, commonly used for algorithm complexity.
Why is Big O Notation useful in computer science?
Used to reason about running time, memory use, recursion, loop counts and the scalability of algorithms. The most common notation for communicating worst-case growth of algorithm time or memory.