E.1
Algorithm Analysis and Big-O Notation

An algorithm is a sequence of computational steps that transform the input data into useful output data. Algorithm analysis is mostly measuring of the computational time to solve the problem. Because the behavior of an algorithm may be different for each possible set of data, there needs to be a means for summarizing that behavior in simple, easily understood formulas. One way to derive these formulas is the big O notation. Big O notation, also called an efficiency indicator, is used to describe the growth rate of a function. The big O notation represents the running time needed to solve the computational steps.