In mathematics, big O notation is used to describe the limiting behavior of a function when the argument tends towards a particular value or infinity, usually in terms of simpler functions. It is a member of a larger family of notations that is called Landau notation, Bachmann–Landau notation (after Edmund Landau and Paul Bachmann), or asymptotic notation. In computer science, big O notation is used to classify algorithms by how they respond (e.g., in their processing time or working space requirements) to changes in input size.
Big O notation characterizes functions according to their growth rates: different functions with the same growth rate may be represented using the same O notation. A description of a function in terms of big O notation usually only provides an upper bound on the growth rate of the function. Associated with big O notation are several related notations, using the symbols o, Ω, ω, and Θ, to describe other kinds of bounds on asymptotic growth rates.
Big O notation is also used in many other fields to provide similar estimates.
Read more about Big O Notation: Formal Definition, Example, Usage, Properties, Multiple Variables, Orders of Common Functions, Related Asymptotic Notations, Generalizations and Related Usages, History (Bachmann–Landau, Hardy, and Vinogradov Notations)
Famous quotes containing the words big o and/or big:
“The little people must be sacred to the big ones, and it is from the rights of the weak that the duty of the strong is comprised.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“I do esteem individual liberty above everything. What is a nation for, but to secure the maximum of liberty to every individual? What do you think a nation is?—a big business concern?”
—D.H. (David Herbert)