Thread: Algorithmic Complexity + Asymptotic Notations

  1. #1
    root koodoo's Avatar
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    Algorithmic Complexity + Asymptotic Notations

    Hi all,

    I've been trying to study algorithmic complexity/asymptotic notations from a long time now. I've searched a lot of tutorials on the internet dealing with the subject, but none of them gave me a clear picture/understanding of the subject.
    Currently I'm studying the topic from the book:
    "Introduction to algorithms"
    ------Thomas H.Cormen
    ------Charles E. Leiserson
    ------Ronald L. Rivest
    ------Clifford Stein

    I'll be highly grateful if anyone could point me to some good tutorials/books from where I should/could study the topic.

    Thanks in anticipation.

  2. #2
    Code Goddess Prelude's Avatar
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    Most of the stuff you'll find is dipped in a college math text and run through an arrogant mathematician's brain. This is a layman's introduction to asymptotic notation from the perspective of the average programmer.
    My best code is written with the delete key.

  3. #3
    aoeuhtns
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    And this is an arrogant mathematician's explanation of asymptotic notation from the perspective that the reader would want to know exactly what asymptotic notation says.
    There are 10 types of people in this world, those who cringed when reading the beginning of this sentence and those who salivated to how superior they are for understanding something as simple as binary.

  4. #4
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    So what we have is here are examples of catering to the arrogant computer geek ("I can't really understand college mathematics so it must be worthless") and to the arrogant mathematician ("It is correct so it doesn't matter if laymen understand it").

    Both views have their utility, and both views suffer by automatically disregarding the value offered by the other.

  5. #5
    aoeuhtns
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    But I don't think Prelude has the attitude that she can't understand college mathematics, and I don't have the attitude that it doesn't matter if laymen understand it.
    There are 10 types of people in this world, those who cringed when reading the beginning of this sentence and those who salivated to how superior they are for understanding something as simple as binary.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rashakil Fol
    But I don't think Prelude has the attitude that she can't understand college mathematics, and I don't have the attitude that it doesn't matter if laymen understand it.
    I didn't imply that you or Julienne had such an attitude. The links in this tread cater for both sides, and there is a need for both because of arrogance coupled with ignorance on both sides of the fence.

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