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Define Asymptotic Notation and explain big Oh,omega,theta notation

Asymptotic notations are the way to express time and space complexity. It represents the running time of an algorithm. if we have more than one algorithms with alternative steps then to choose among them the algorithm with lesser complexity should be selected. To represent these complexities Asymptotic notations are used. basically it is of 3 types.
  • Oh
  • omaega
  • theta
And further classified as ....
  • big Oh
  • small Oh
  • big omaega
  • small omaega
In general only big ones are used . Following are the commonly used Asymptotic notations to calculate the running time complexity of an algorithm.
  • Big Oh Notation:

    • The notation O(n) is the formal way to express the upper bound of an algorithm's running time. It measures the worst case time complexity or the longest amount of time an algorithm can possibly take to complete.

  • Omaega Notation :

    The notation Ω (n) is the formal way to express the lower bound of an algorithm's running time. It measures the best case complexity or the shortest amount of time an algorithm can possibly take to complete.

  • Theta Notation :

    The notation θ(n) is the formal way to express both the lower and upper bound of an algorithm's running time. It measures the average complexity or the average amount of time an algorithm can possibly take to complete.

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