[Algorithm] Constant Time Operation

In practice, designing an efficient algorithm aims to lower the amount of time that an algorithm runs. However, a single algorithm can always execute more quickly on a faster processor.

Therefore, the theoretical analysis of an algorithm describes runtime in terms of number of constant time operations, not nanoseconds.

A constant time operation is an operation that, for a given processor, always operates in the same amount of time, regardless of input values.

 

At first, it might be confusing what are the operations that are always operating in the constant amount of time. 

These are some common constant time operations:

 

 

한문장 정리: 소프트웨어 처리 속도를 통한 하드웨어 성능의 이론적 분석에는 하드웨어 성능에 영향을 받지 않는 constant time operation 의 측면에서 묘사된다.