Algorithm efficiency and complexity
An algorithm is a set of instructions to solve a particular problem. In this context, an algorithm can be a function or even a simple operation that adds two numbers. Let's understand two related terms: algorithm efficiency and algorithm complexity.
Algorithm efficiency
Algorithm efficiency indicates the computation resources consumed by an algorithm. Typically, the lower the resource consumption, the better the efficiency. The computational resources can mean several things. One can be talking about the runtime (CPU usage), the memory consumption (RAM or hard disk) or the network consumption, or a combination of these.
The application requirement determines which resource takes precedence over the others. For example, in a web application, the network usage can be more important than the disk space. For a scientific application, you might have all the memory you need but the runtime can be a pain in the neck, and so on. In this book, we will limit our discussion...
