Big O: The Language of Scaling
Big O describes how time grows as data grows:
- O(1): Constant - same time regardless of size
- O(log N): Logarithmic - doubles data, adds one step
- O(N): Linear - doubles data, doubles time
- O(N log N): Linearithmic - efficient sorts
- O(N²): Quadratic - doubles data, 4× time
The notation ignores constants. It's about growth patterns, not exact times.