> I simply didn't know the notation and that's why I wanted to know if that was a mistake or intentional.
The problem is that "aren't you confusing" comes across as very snarky. That's WTF is with the downvotes, and getting upset about those downvotes doesn't help.
It's usually what people mean when they use O, really, colloquially anyway. Theta's like you actually identified the right 'magnitude curve'; what big-O actually says is much weaker, it's only an upper bound. You can say something's O(n) when actually it's constant, etc. But generally we don't, if someone says casually it's O(n) they mean 'and also Omega(n)', i.e. it's Theta(n).
(Or at least, it is when talking about something specific - how does this function behave, say. If you talk about needing something to happen linearly then that's a fine use of O - of course you're also happy with constant time if linear is ok.)
O is short for Omicron btw, lest you think it's O and then we suddenly went Greek for no apparent reason!
On the very page you linked it is explained what the theta means. Ironic.
No need to be snarky.
I simply didn't know the notation and that's why I wanted to know if that was a mistake or intentional.
> I simply didn't know the notation and that's why I wanted to know if that was a mistake or intentional.
The problem is that "aren't you confusing" comes across as very snarky. That's WTF is with the downvotes, and getting upset about those downvotes doesn't help.
2 replies →
I didn't mean for it to be snarky, I just found it funny.
Big Theta describes a both and upper and lower asymptotic bound.
TIL; Thanks!
It's usually what people mean when they use O, really, colloquially anyway. Theta's like you actually identified the right 'magnitude curve'; what big-O actually says is much weaker, it's only an upper bound. You can say something's O(n) when actually it's constant, etc. But generally we don't, if someone says casually it's O(n) they mean 'and also Omega(n)', i.e. it's Theta(n).
(Or at least, it is when talking about something specific - how does this function behave, say. If you talk about needing something to happen linearly then that's a fine use of O - of course you're also happy with constant time if linear is ok.)
O is short for Omicron btw, lest you think it's O and then we suddenly went Greek for no apparent reason!
5 replies →