有没有O(1/n)种算法?

或者其他小于O(1)的数?


当前回答

这是一个简单的O(1/n)算法。它甚至做了一些有趣的事情!

function foo(list input) {
  int m;
  double output;

  m = (1/ input.size) * max_value;  
  output = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < m; i++)
    output+= random(0,1);

  return output;
}

O(1/n) is possible as it describes how the output of a function changes given increasing size of input. If we are using the function 1/n to describe the number of instructions a function executes then there is no requirement that the function take zero instructions for any input size. Rather, it is that for every input size, n above some threshold, the number of instructions required is bounded above by a positive constant multiplied by 1/n. As there is no actual number for which 1/n is 0, and the constant is positive, then there is no reason why the function would constrained to take 0 or fewer instructions.

其他回答

O(1)仅仅表示“常数时间”。

当你给循环[1]添加一个早期退出时,你(在大O符号中)把一个O(1)算法变成了O(n)算法,但使它更快。

诀窍是一般情况下,常数时间算法是最好的,线性算法比指数算法好,但对于n很小的时候,指数算法可能更快。

1:假设这个例子的列表长度是静态的

sharptooth是正确的,O(1)是可能的最佳性能。然而,这并不意味着一个快速的解决方案,只是一个固定时间的解决方案。

一个有趣的变种,也许是真正的建议,是随着人口的增长,哪些问题会变得更容易。我能想出一个虽然是做作的半开玩笑的答案:

一组中有两个人生日相同吗?当n超过365时,返回true。虽然小于365,这是O(nln n)。也许不是一个很好的答案,因为问题不会慢慢变得简单,而是变成O(1)对于n > 365。

这是一个简单的O(1/n)算法。它甚至做了一些有趣的事情!

function foo(list input) {
  int m;
  double output;

  m = (1/ input.size) * max_value;  
  output = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < m; i++)
    output+= random(0,1);

  return output;
}

O(1/n) is possible as it describes how the output of a function changes given increasing size of input. If we are using the function 1/n to describe the number of instructions a function executes then there is no requirement that the function take zero instructions for any input size. Rather, it is that for every input size, n above some threshold, the number of instructions required is bounded above by a positive constant multiplied by 1/n. As there is no actual number for which 1/n is 0, and the constant is positive, then there is no reason why the function would constrained to take 0 or fewer instructions.

好吧,我想了一下,也许有一个算法可以遵循这个一般形式:

你需要计算一个1000节点图的旅行商问题,但是,你也有一个你不能访问的节点列表。随着不可访问节点列表的增加,问题变得更容易解决。

O(1/n)并不小于O(1)这基本上意味着你拥有的数据越多,算法运行得越快。假设你有一个数组,如果它小于10100个元素就填充它,如果多于10100个元素就什么都不做。这个当然不是O(1/n),而是O(-n):)太糟糕了,O大符号不允许负数。