Examples

• Improvements requested by Pavneet Singh:

  • This example does not sufficiently illustrate the point and needs to be edited to provide more details. - Sep 16 at 8:13

    These example are all over the internet , a newbie won't be able to understand anything if he don't know how log n is computed so if to make this more clearer , these should be an explanation about logarithm functions with example to compute it instead of just number taking

    add a comment

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  15

  Big-Theta notation

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  15

  Unlike Big-O notation, which represents only upper bound of the running time for some algorithm, Big-Theta is a tight bound; both upper and lower bound. Tight bound is more precise, but also more difficult to compute.

  The Big-Theta notation is symmetric: f(x) = Ө(g(x)) <=> g(x) = Ө(f(x))

  An intuitive way to grasp it is that f(x) = Ө(g(x)) means that the graphs of f(x) and g(x) grow in the same rate, or that the graphs 'behave' similarly for big enough values of x.

  An example

  If the algorithm for the input n takes 42n^2 + 25n + 4 operations to finish, we say that is O(n^2), but is also O(n^3) and O(n^100). However, it is Ө(n^2) and it is not Ө(n^3), Ө(n^4) etc. Algorithm that is Ө(f(n)) is also O(f(n)), but not vice versa!

  Formal mathematical definition

  Ө(g(x)) is a set of functions.

  Ө(g(x)) = {f(x) such that there exist positive constants c1, c2, N such that 0 <= c1*g(x) <= f(x) <= c2*g(x) for all x > N}

  Because Ө(g(x)) is a set, we could write f(x) ∈ Ө(g(x)) to indicate that f(x) is a member of Ө(g(x)). Instead, we will usually write f(x) = Ө(g(x)) to express the same notion - that's the common way.

  Whenever Ө(g(x)) appears in a formula, we interpret it as standing for some anonymous function that we do not care to name. For example the equation T(n) = T(n/2) + Ө(n), means T(n) = T(n/2) + f(n) where f(n) is a function in the set Ө(n).

  Let f and g be two functions defined on some subset of the real numbers. We write f(x) = Ө(g(x)) as x->infinity if and only if there are positive constants K and L and a real number x0 such that holds:

  K|g(x)| <= f(x) <= L|g(x)| for all x >= x0.

  The definition is equal to:

  f(x) = O(g(x)) and f(x) = Ω(g(x))

  A method that uses limits

  if limit(x->infinity) f(x)/g(x) = c ∈ (0,∞) i.e. the limit exists and it's positive, then f(x) = Ө(g(x))

  Common Complexity Classes

  Name	Notation	n = 10	n = 100
  Constant	Ө(1)	1	1
  Logarithmic	Ө(log(n))	3	7
  Linear	Ө(n)	10	100
  Linearithmic	Ө(n*log(n))	30	700
  Quadratic	Ө(n^2)	100	10 000
  Exponential	Ө(2^n)	1 024	1.267650e+ 30
  Factorial	Ө(n!)	3 628 800	9.332622e+157

  edited Aug 26 at 12:07

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Comparison of the asymptotic notations

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  5

  Let f(n) and g(n) be two functions defined on the set of the positive real numbers, c, c1, c2, n0 are positive real constants.

  Notation	f(n) = O(g(n))	f(n) = Ω(g(n))	f(n) = Θ(g(n))	f(n) = o(g(n))	f(n) = ω(g(n))
  Formal definition	∃ c > 0, ∃ n0 > 0 : ∀ n ≥ n0, 0 ≤ f(n) ≤ c g(n)	∃ c > 0, ∃ n0 > 0 : ∀ n ≥ n0, 0 ≤ c g(n) ≤ f(n)	∃ c1, c2 > 0, ∃ n0 > 0 : ∀ n ≥ n0, 0 ≤ c1 g(n) ≤ f(n) ≤ c2 g(n)	∀ c > 0, ∃ n0 > 0 : ∀ n ≥ n0, 0 ≤ f(n) < c g(n)	∀ c > 0, ∃ n0 > 0 : ∀ n ≥ n0, 0 ≤ c g(n) < f(n)
  Analogy between the asymptotic comparison of f, g and real numbers a, b	a ≤ b	a ≥ b	a = b	a < b	a > b
  Example	7n + 10 = O(n^2 + n - 9)	n^3 - 34 = Ω(10n^2 - 7n + 1)	1/2 n^2 - 7n = Θ(n^2)	5n^2 = o(n^3)	7n^2 = ω(n)
  Graphic interpretation

  The asymptotic notations can be represented on a Venn diagram as follows:

  Links

  Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein. Introduction to Algorithms.

  edited Sep 19 at 22:39

  

  
• 2

  Big-Omega Notation

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  2

  Ω-notation is used for asymptotic lower bound.

  Formal definition

  Let f(n) and g(n) be two functions defined on the set of the positive real numbers. We write f(n) = Ω(g(n)) if there are positive constants c and n0 such that:

  0 ≤ c g(n) ≤ f(n) for all n ≥ n0.

  Notes

  f(n) = Ω(g(n)) means that f(n) grows asymptotically no slower than g(n). Also we can say about Ω(g(n)) when algorithm analysis is not enough for statement about Θ(g(n)) or / and O(g(n)).

  From the definitions of notations follows the theorem:

  For two any functions f(n) and g(n) we have f(n) = Ө(g(n)) if and only if f(n) = O(g(n)) and f(n) = Ω(g(n)).

  Graphically Ω-notation may be represented as follows:

  

  For example lets we have f(n) = 3n^2 + 5n - 4. Then f(n) = Ω(n^2). It is also correct f(n) = Ω(n), or even f(n) = Ω(1).

  References

  Formal definition and theorem are taken from the book "Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein. Introduction to Algorithms".

  edited Sep 19 at 22:39