I've gone through some basic concepts of calculating time complexities. I would like to know the time complexity of the code that follows.
I think the time complexity would be O(log3n*n2). It may still be wrong and I want to know the exact answer and how to arrive at the same. Thank you :)
function(int n){
if(n == 1) return;
for(int i = 1; i <= n; i++)
for(int j = 1; j <= n; j++)
printf("*");
function(n-3);
}
Two nested loops with n iterations give O(n^2). Recursion calls the function itself for O(n)-time since it decreases n for the constant 3, thus it's called n/3 + 1 = O(n) times. In total, it's O(n^3).
The logarithm constant in your result would be in case that function is called with the value of n/3.
Related
I am fairly familiar with simple time complexity regarding constant, linear, and quadratic time complexities. In simple code segments like:
int i = 0;
i + 1;
This is constant. So O(1). And in:
for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
This is linear since it iterates n+1 times, but for Big O time complexities we remove the constant, so just O(N). In nested for loops:
for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
for (j = 0; j < N; j++)
I get how we multiply n+1 by n and reach a time complexity of O(N^2). My issue is with slightly more complex versions of this. So, for example:
S = 0;
for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
for (j = 0; j < N*N; j++)
S++;
In such a case, would I be multiplying n+1 by the inner for loop time complexity, of which I presume is n^2? So the time complexity would be O(n^3)?
Another example is:
S = 0;
for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
for (j = 0; j < i*i; j++)
for (k = 0; k < j; k++)
S++;
In this case, I expanded it and wrote it out and realized that the inner, middle for loop seems to be running at an n*n time complexity, and the most inner for loop at the pace of j, which is also nxn. So in that case, would I be multiplying n+1 x n^2 x n^2, which would give me O(n^5)?
Also, I am still struggling to understand what kind of code has logarithmic time complexity. If someone could give me an algorithm or segment of code that performs at log(n) or n log(n) time complexity, and explain it, that would be much appreciated.
All of your answers are correct.
Logarithmic time complexity typically occurs when you're reducing the size of the problem by a constant factor on every iteration.
Here's an example:
for (int i = N; i >= 0; i /= 2) { .. do something ... }
In this for-loop, we're dividing the problem size by 2 on every iteration. We'll need approximately log_2(n) iterations prior to terminating. Hence, the algorithm runs in O(log(n)) time.
Another common example is the binary search algorithm, which searches a sorted interval for a value. In this procedure, we remove half of the values on each iteration (once again, we're reducing the size of the problem by a constant factor of 2). Hence, the runtime is O(log(n)).
I am learning about Big-O and although I started to understand things, I still am not able to correctly measure the Big-O of an algorithm.
I've got a code:
int n = 10;
int count = 0;
int k = 0;
for (int i = 1; i < n; i++)
{
for (int p = 200; p > 2*i; p--)
{
int j = i;
while (j < n)
{
do
{
count++;
k = count * j;
} while (k > j);
j++;
}
}
}
which I have to measure the Big-O and Exact Runtime.
Let me start, the first for loop is O(n) because it depends on n variable.
The second for loop is nested, therefore makes the big-O till now an O(n^2).
So how we gonna calculate the while (j < n) (so only three loops till now) and how we gonna calculate the do while(k > j) if it appears, makes 4 loops, such as in this case?
A comprehend explanation would be really helpful.
Thank you.
Unless I'm much mistaken, this program has an infinite loop and therefore it's time complexity cannot usefully be analyzed.
In particular
do
{
count++;
k = count * j;
} while (k > j);
as soon as this loop is entered for the second time and count = 2, k will be set greater to j, and will remain so indefinitely (ignoring integer overflow, which will happen pretty quickly).
I understand that you're learning Big-Oh notation, but creating toy examples like this probably isn't the best way to understand Big-Oh. I would recommend reading a well-known algorithms textbook where they walk you through new algorithms, explaining and analyzing the time and space complexity as they do so.
I am assuming that the while loop should be:
while (k < j)
Now, in this case, the first for loop would take O(n) time. The second loop would take O(p) time.
Now, for the third loop,
int j = i;`
while (j < n){
...
j++;
}
could be rewritten as
for(j=i;j<n;j++)
meaning it shall take O(n) time.
For the last loop, the value of k increases exponentially.
Consider it to be same as
for(k = count*j ;k<j ;j++,count++)
Hence it shall take O(logn) time.
The total time complexity is O(n^2*p*logn).
for(i=0; i<n; i++) // time complexity n+1
{
k=1; // time complexity n
while(k<=n) // time complexity n*(n+1)
{
for(j=0; j<k; j++) // time complexity ??
printf("the sum of %d and %d is: %d\n",j,k,j+k); time complexity ??
k++;
}
What is the time complexity of the above code? I stuck in the second (for) and i don't know how to find the time complexity because j is less than k and not less than n.
I always having problems related to time complexity, do you guys got some good article on it?
especially about the step count and loops.
From the question :
because j is less than k and not less than n.
This is just plain wrong, and I guess that's the assumption that got you stuck. We know what values k can take. In your code, it ranges from 1 to n (included). Thus, if j is less than k, it is also less than n.
From the comments :
i know the the only input is n but in the second for depends on k an not in n .
If a variable depends on anything, it's on the input. j depends on k that itself depends on n, which means j depends on n.
However, this is not enough to deduce the complexity. In the end, what you need to know is how many times printf is called.
The outer for loop is executed n times no matter what. We can factor this out.
The number of executions of the inner for loop depends on k, which is modified within the while loop. We know k takes every value from 1 to n exactly once. That means the inner for loop will first be executed once, then twice, then three times and so on, up until n times.
Thus, discarding the outer for loop, printf is called 1+2+3+...+n times. That sum is very well known and easy to calculate : 1+2+3+...+n = n*(n+1)/2 = (n^2 + n)/2.
Finally, the total number of calls to printf is n * (n^2 + n)/2 = n^3/2 + n^2/2 = O(n^3). That's your time complexity.
A final note about this kind of codes. Once you see the same patterns a few times, you quickly start to recognize the kind of complexity involved. Then, when you see that kind of nested loops with dependent variables, you immediately know that the complexity for each loop is linear.
For instance, in the following, f is called n*(n+1)*(n+2)/6 = O(n^3) times.
for (i = 1; i <= n; ++i) {
for (j = 1; j <= i; ++j) {
for (k = 1; k <= j; ++k) {
f();
}
}
}
First, simplify the code to show the main loops. So, we have a structure of:
for(int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
for(int k = 1; k <= n; k++) {
for(int j = 0; j < k; j++) {
}
}
}
The outer-loops run n * n times but there's not much you can do with this information because the complexity of the inner-loop changes based on which iteration of the outer-loop you're on, so it's not as simple as calculating the number of times the outer loops run and multiplying by some other value.
Instead, I would find it easier to start with the inner-loop, and then add the outer-loops from the inner-most to outer-most.
The complexity of the inner-most loop is k.
With the middle loop, it's the sum of k (the complexity above) where k = 1 to n. So 1 + 2 + ... + n = (n^2 + n) / 2.
With the outer loop, it's done n times so another multiplication by n. So n * (n^2 + n) / 2.
After simplifying, we get a total of O(n^3)
The time complexity for the above code is : n x n x n = n^3 + 1+ 1 = n^3 + 2 for the 3 loops plus the two constants. Since n^3 carries the heaviest growing rate the constant values can be ignored, so the Time complexity would be n^3.
Note: Take each loop as (n) and to obtained the total time, multiple the (n) values in each loop.
Hope this will help !
Here is problem in which we have to calculate the time complexity of given function
f(i) = 2*f(i+1) + 3*f(i+2)
For (int i=0; i < n; i++)
F[i] = 2*f[i+1]
What i think is the complexity of this algorithm is O(2^n) + O(n) which ultimately is O(2^n).
Please correct me if i am wrong?
Firstly, all the information you required to work these out in future is here.
To answer your question. Because you have not provided a definition of f(i) in terms of I itself it is impossible to determine the actual complexity from what you have written above. However, in general for loops like
for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
sequence of statements
}
executes N times, so the sequence of statements also executes N times. If we assume the statements are O(1), the total time for the for loop is N * O(1), which is O(N) overall. In your case above, if I take the liberty of re-writing it as
f(0) = 0;
f(1) = 1;
f(i+2) = 2*f(i+1) + 3*f(i)
for (int i=0; i < n; i++)
f[i] = 2*f[i+2]
Then we have a well defined sequence of operations and it should be clear that the complexity for the n operations is, like the example I have given above, n * O(1), which is O(n).
I hope this helps.
I need a little help on figuring out the Big-Theta running time for this function.
int recursive(int n) {
sum = 0;
for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++)
sum++
if (n > 1)
return sum + recursive(n-1);
else
return n;
}
I know how what the run time of this function would be if the for loop wasn't in the function, but the loop is throwing me off a little bit. Any advice?
If it was just the for loop, not recursive, the function would be O(n).
If it was just recursive, and didn't have the for loop, it would also be O(n).
But, it's doing n recursive steps (which we know is O(n)) and it's got an O(n) for loop at each of the n steps.
So... does that help?