Efficiency and Order of Growth

« Previous | Next »

Session Overview

This lecture revolves around the topic of algorithmic efficiency. It introduces the random access model (RAM) of computation and "big O notation" as a way to talk about order of growth. It concludes with binary search.

Session Activities

Lecture Videos

• Lecture 8: Efficiency and Order of Growth (00:50:10)

  Flash and JavaScript are required for this feature.

  Lecture 8: Efficiency and Order of Growth

  > Download from iTunes U (MP4 - 110MB)

  > Download from Internet Archive (MP4 - 110MB)

  > Download English-US transcript (PDF)

  > Download English-US caption (SRT)

About this Video

Topics covered: Efficiency, problem reduction, RAM, best case, worst case, expected case, growth, exponential growth, polynomial growth, logarithmic growth, global variables.

Resources

• Lecture code handout (PDF)
• Lecture code (PY)
• showGrowth code (PY)

Recitation Videos

• Optional Recitation: Algorithm Complexity and Class Review (00:42:12)

  Flash and JavaScript are required for this feature.

  Optional Recitation: Algorithm Complexity and Class Review

  > Download from iTunes U (MP4 - 92MB)

  > Download from Internet Archive (MP4 - 92MB)

  > Download English-US transcript (PDF)

  > Download English-US caption (SRT)

About this Video

Topics covered: Big O notation, algorithm complexity, algorithm comparison example, object-oriented programming, Person class example, defensive programming, private attributes, mutability, aliasing.

Resources

• Recitation handout (PDF) (Courtesy of Sarina Canelake. Used with permission.)

Check Yourself

Why is efficiency important?

What notation do we use to state complexity?

« Previous | Next »