RAIK 283: Data Structures & Algorithms

Analysis of Algorithms
Dr. Ying Lu
ylu@cse.unl.edu
August 28, 2012

http://www.cse.unl.edu/~ylu/raik283/

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

RAIK 283: Data Structures & Algorithms

Giving credit where credit is due:

Most of the lecture notes are based on the slides
from the Textbooks companion website
http://www.aw-bc.com/info/levitin
Several slides are from Jeff Edmonds of the
York University
I have modified them and added new slides

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

The Time Complexity of an Algorithm

The Time Complexity of an Algorithm

Specifies how the running time depends

on the size of the input

Purpose

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

Purpose

To estimate how long a program will run.

To estimate the largest input that can reasonably be
given to the program.
To compare the efficiency of different algorithms.
To help focus on the parts of code that are executed
the largest number of times.
To choose an algorithm for an application.

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

Purpose (Example)

Suppose a machine that performs a million floatingpoint operations per second (106 FLOPS), then how
long an algorithm will run for an input of size n=50?
1) If the algorithm requires n2 such operations:

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

Purpose (Example)

Suppose a machine that performs a million floatingpoint operations per second (106 FLOPS), then how
long an algorithm will run for an input of size n=50?
1) If the algorithm requires n2 such operations:

0.0025 second

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

Purpose (Example)

Suppose a machine that performs a million floatingpoint operations per second (106 FLOPS), then how
long an algorithm will run for an input of size n=50?
1) If the algorithm requires n2 such operations:

0.0025 second
2) If the algorithm requires 2n such operations:

A) Takes a similar amount of time (t < 1 sec)

B) Takes a little bit longer time (1 sec < t < 1 year)
C) Takes a much longer time (1 year < t)

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

Purpose (Example)

Suppose a machine that performs a million floatingpoint operations per second (106 FLOPS), then how
long an algorithm will run for an input of size n=50?
1) If the algorithm requires n2 such operations:

0.0025 second
2) If the algorithm requires 2n such operations:
over 35 years!

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Time Complexity Is a Function

Specifies how the running time depends on the size of the
input.
A function mapping
size of input

time T(n) executed .

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Definition of Time?

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12

Definition of Time

# of seconds (machine, implementation dependent).

# lines of code executed.

# of times a specific operation is performed

addition).

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

(e.g.,

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Theoretical analysis of time efficiency

Time efficiency is analyzed by determining the number of
repetitions of the basic operation as a function of input size

Basic operation: the operation that contributes most

towards the running time of the algorithm.
input size

T(n) copC(n)
running time

execution time
for basic operation

Number of times
basic operation is
executed

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Input size and basic operation examples

Problem

Input size measure

Basic operation

Search for key in a list of

n items
Multiply two matrices of
floating point numbers
Compute an

Graph problem
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Input size and basic operation examples

Problem

Input size measure

Search for key in a list of Number of items in the

n items
list: n

Basic operation
Key comparison

Multiply two matrices of

floating point numbers
Compute an

Graph problem
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Input size and basic operation examples

Problem

Input size measure

Basic operation

Search for key in a list of Number of items in the

n items
list: n

Key comparison

Multiply two matrices of

Dimensions of matrices
floating point numbers

Floating point
multiplication

Compute an

Graph problem
Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Input size and basic operation examples

Problem

Input size measure

Basic operation

Search for key in list of

n items

Number of items in list n Key comparison

Multiply two matrices of

Dimensions of matrices
floating point numbers

Floating point
multiplication

Compute an

Floating point
multiplication

Graph problem
Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Input size and basic operation examples

Problem

Input size measure

Basic operation

Search for key in list of

n items

Number of items in list n Key comparison

Multiply two matrices of

Dimensions of matrices
floating point numbers

Floating point
multiplication

Compute an

Floating point
multiplication

Graph problem

#vertices and/or edges

Visiting a vertex or
traversing an edge

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Theoretical analysis of time efficiency

Time efficiency is analyzed by determining the

number of repetitions of the basic operation as a
function of input size

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Which Input of size n?

Efficiency also depends on the particular input

For instance: search a key in a list of n letters

Problem input: a list of n letters
How many different inputs?

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Which Input of size n?

Efficiency also depends on the particular input

For instance: search a key in a list of n letters

There are 26n inputs of size n.
Which do we consider
for the time efficiency C(n)?

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Best-case, average-case, worst-case

Worst case: W(n) maximum over inputs of size n

Best case:

Average case: A(n) average over inputs of size n

B(n) minimum over inputs of size n

NOT the average of worst and best case

Under some assumption about the probability distribution of all
possible inputs of size n, calculate the weighted sum of expected C(n)
(numbers of basic operation repetitions) over all possible inputs of size
n.

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Example: Sequential search

Problem: Given a list of n elements and a search key K, find

an element equal to K, if any.
Algorithm: Scan the list and compare its successive
elements with K until either a matching element is found
(successful search) or the list is exhausted (unsuccessful
search)
Worst case

Best case

Average case

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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An example

Compute gcd(m, n) by applying the algorithm based on

checking consecutive integers from min(m, n) down to
gcd(m, n)
Input size?
Best case?
Worst case?
Average case?

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

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Types of formulas for basic operation count

Exact formula
e.g., C(n) = n(n-1)/2

Formula indicating order of growth with specific

multiplicative constant
e.g., C(n) 0.5 n2

Formula indicating order of growth with unknown

multiplicative constant
e.g., C(n) cn2

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Types of formulas for basic operation count

Exact formula
e.g., C(n) = n(n-1)/2
Formula indicating order of growth with specific
multiplicative constant
e.g., C(n) 0.5 n2
Formula indicating order of growth with unknown
multiplicative constant
e.g., C(n) cn2
Most important: Order of growth within a constant
multiple as n
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Asymptotic growth rate

A way of comparing functions that ignores constant factors and

small input sizes

O(g(n)):

(g(n)):

(g(n)):

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Asymptotic growth rate

A way of comparing functions that ignores constant factors and

small input sizes

O(g(n)): class of functions f(n) that grow no faster than g(n)

(g(n)): class of functions f(n) that grow at same rate as g(n)

(g(n)): class of functions f(n) that grow at least as fast as g(n)

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Table 2.1

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Classifying Functions

Giving an idea of how fast a function

grows without going into too much detail.

Which are more alike?

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Which are more alike?

Mammals

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Which are more alike?

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Which are more alike?

Dogs

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Classifying Animals
Vertebrates

Fish

Reptiles

Mammals

Birds

Giraffe

Dogs

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Which are more alike?

n1000

n2

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

2n

37

Which are more alike?

n1000

n2

2n

Polynomials

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Which are more alike?

1000n2

3n2

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

2n3

39

Which are more alike?

1000n2

3n2

2n3

Quadratic

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Classifying Functions?
Functions

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Classifying Functions
Functions

Exponential

Factorial

(log n)5

Polynomial

5 log n

Poly Logarithmic

Logarithmic

Constant
5

n5

25n

n!

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Classifying Functions?
Polynomial

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Classifying Functions
Polynomial

Linear

Quadratic

Cubic

5n

5n2

5n3

5n4

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Logarithmic
log10n = # digits to write n
log2n = # bits to write n
= 3.32 log10n
log(n1000) = 1000 log(n)

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

Differ only by a
multiplicative
constant

45

Poly Logarithmic

(log n)5 = log5 n

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Which grows faster?

log1000 n

n0.001

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Poly Logarithmic << Polynomial

log1000 n << n0.001

For sufficiently large n

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Which grows faster?

10000 n

0.0001 n2

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Linear << Quadratic

10000 n << 0.0001 n2

For sufficiently large n

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Which grows faster?

n1000

20.001 n

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Polynomial << Exponential

n1000 << 20.001 n

For sufficiently large n

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Ordering Functions
Functions

<<

25n

Design and Analysis of Algorithms Chapter 2.1

<<

<<

Factorial

5 << 5 log n
(log n)5
n5
<<
<<

<<

Exponential

<<

Polynomial

<<

Poly Logarithmic

Logarithmic

Constant

<<

n!
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Which Functions are Constant?

5
1,000,000,000,000
0.0000000000001
-5
0
8 + sin(n)

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Which Functions are Constant?

Yes 5
Yes 1,000,000,000,000
Yes 0.0000000000001
Yes -5
Yes 0
No 8 + sin(n)

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Which Functions are Constant?

The running time of the algorithm is a Constant
if it does not depend significantly
on the size of the input.
5
1,000,000,000,000
0.0000000000001
-5
0
8 + sin(n)
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Which Functions are Constant?

The running time of the algorithm is a Constant
It does not depend significantly
on the size of the input.
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes

5
1,000,000,000,000
9
0.0000000000001
7
-5
0
Lie in between
8 + sin(n)
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Which Functions are Quadratic?

n2
0.001 n2
1000 n2
5n2 + 3n + 2log n

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Which Functions are Quadratic?

n2
0.001 n2
Lie in between
1000 n2
5n2 + 3n + 2log n

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Which Functions are Quadratic?

n2
0.001 n2
1000 n2
5n2 + 3n + 2log n
Ignore low-order terms
Ignore multiplicative constants.
Ignore "small" values of n.
Write (n2).
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Examples
f(n)

g(n)

1)

ln2n

2)

nk

n
cn

3)
4)
5)
6)

nsinn

2n

2n/2

nlgc

clgn

O(g(n))?

(g(n))? (g(n))?

lg(n!) lg(nn)

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