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Algorithm Complexity Time Space Tradeoff

Algorithm complexity measures the time and memory required by an algorithm to solve a problem, categorized into time complexity and space complexity. Time complexity, expressed in Big O notation, indicates how execution time grows with input size, while space complexity reflects memory usage during execution. The time-space trade-off allows for balancing between using more memory for faster execution or vice versa.

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28 views2 pages

Algorithm Complexity Time Space Tradeoff

Algorithm complexity measures the time and memory required by an algorithm to solve a problem, categorized into time complexity and space complexity. Time complexity, expressed in Big O notation, indicates how execution time grows with input size, while space complexity reflects memory usage during execution. The time-space trade-off allows for balancing between using more memory for faster execution or vice versa.

Uploaded by

saniyabanayeem39
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Algorithm Complexity & Time-Space Tradeoff (Easy Explanation)

What is Algorithm Complexity?

- It tells how much time and memory (space) an algorithm needs to run and solve a problem.

1. Time Complexity:

- It shows how much time an algorithm takes depending on the input size.

- We use Big O notation to describe it.

Examples of Time Complexity:

- O(1): Constant time (only one step)

- O(n): Linear time (check each item once)

- O(n^2): Quadratic time (nested loops)

Example:

If you have an array of 5 elements and check each one - Time = O(n)

2. Space Complexity:

- It shows how much memory (RAM) is used during the execution of an algorithm.

- Includes variables, arrays, and memory used by functions or recursion.

Example:

If your algorithm stores 10 values in a list - Space = O(n)

Time-Space Trade-off:

- Sometimes, you can use more memory to save time OR use more time to save memory.
Example:

- Storing pre-calculated answers (more space, less time)

- Calculating everything again (less space, more time)

Summary Table:

Concept - Meaning

---------------------|-------------------------------------------

Time Complexity - How fast the algorithm runs

Space Complexity - How much memory the algorithm uses

Time-Space Tradeoff - Balance between time taken and memory used

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