What is asymptotic notations.and it’s types

Data Structures & Algorithms with C++ Programming: Hands-on Coding

Asymptotic Notations

Asymptotic notations are mathematical tools to

represent the time complexity of algorithms for

asymptotic analysis.

The main idea of asymptotic analysis is to have a

measure of the efficiency of algorithms that don’t

depend on machine-specific constants and doesn’t

require algorithms to be implemented and time taken

by programs to be compared.

The following asymptotic notations are mostly used to

represent the time complexity of algorithms. 

O − Big Oh

Ω − Big omega

θ − Big theta

o − Little Oh

ω − Little omega

1) ‘O’ (Big Oh)

‘O’ (Big Oh) is the most commonly used notation.

A function f(n) can be represented is the order of

g(n) that is O(g(n)), if there exists a value of

positive integer n as n0 and a positive constant c

such that –

f(n)⩽c.g(n)

for n>n0 in all case

Hence, function g(n) is an upper bound for

function f(n), as g(n) grows faster than f(n).

Example-

Let us consider a given function,

f(n)=4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5.n+1

Considering g(n)=n 3 , f(n)⩽5.g(n)

for all the values of n>2

Hence, the complexity of f(n) can be represented

as O(g(n)) , i.e. O(n 3 )

2) Ω: Asymptotic Lower Bound

We say that f(n)=Ω(g(n))

when there exists constant c that f(n)⩾c.g(n)for

all sufficiently large value of n. Here n is a positive

integer. It means function g is a lower bound for

function f; after a certain value of n, f will never

go below g.

Example-

Let us consider a given function,

f(n)=4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5.n+1.

Considering g(n)=n 3

, f(n)⩾4.g(n) for all the values of n>0.

Hence, the complexity of f(n) can be represented

as Ω(g(n)) , i.e. Ω(n 3 )

3) θ: Asymptotic Tight Bound

We say that f(n)=θ(g(n)) when there exist

constants c1 and c2 that c1.g(n)⩽f(n)⩽c2.g(n)for

all sufficiently large value of n. Here n is a positive

integer.

This means function g is a tight bound for function

f.

Example-

Let us consider a given function,

f(n)=4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5. n +1

Considering g(n)=n 3

4.g(n)⩽f(n)⩽5.g(n)for all the large values of n.

Hence, the complexity of f(n) can be represented

as θ(g(n)) i.e. θ(n 3 ).

4) O – Notation

The asymptotic upper bound provided by O-

notation may or may not be asymptotically tight.

The bound 2.n 2 =O(n 2 ) is asymptotically tight, but

the bound 2.n=O(n 2 )is not.

We use o-notation to denote an upper bound that

is not asymptotically tight. We formally define

o(g(n)) (little-oh of g of n) as the set f(n) = o(g(n))

for any positive constant c>0 and there exists a

value n0>0, such that 0⩽f(n)⩽c.g(n).

Intuitively, in the o-notation, the function f(n)

becomes insignificant relative to g(n) as n

approaches infinity; that is,

limn→∞(f(n)g(n))=0

Example-

Let us consider the same function,

f(n)=4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5.n+1

Considering g(n)=n 4

limn→∞ ( (4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5.n+1) / n 4 )=0

Hence, the complexity of f(n) can be

represented as o(g(n)) , i.e. o(n 4 ).

5) ω – Notation

We use ω-notation to denote a lower bound that

is not asymptotically tight. Formally, however, we

define ω(g(n)) (little-omega of g of n) as the set

f(n) = ω(g(n)) for any positive constant C > 0 and

there exists a value n0>0 , such that

0⩽c.g(n)<f(n).

For example, n 22 =ω(n),

but n 22 ≠ω(n 2 ). The relation f(n)=ω(g(n))implies that

the following limit exists

limn→∞(f(n)g(n))=∞

That is, f(n) becomes arbitrarily large relative to

g(n) as n approaches infinity.

Example-

Let us consider same function,

f(n)=4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5.n+1

Considering g(n)=n 2

limn→∞(4.n 3 +10.n 2 +5.n+1n 2 )=∞

Hence, the complexity of f(n) can be represented

as o(g(n)) , i.e. ω(n2).

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