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What is a plain English explanation of "Big O" notation?

I'd prefer as little formal definition as possible and simple mathematics.
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2 Answers

sandhya6gczb
Big -O notation is an Asymptotic Notation for the worst case or ceiling of growth for a given function. It provides us with an asymptotic upper bound for the growth rate of the runtime of an algorithm.
for example
Worst-case time complexity of linear search is O(n).
Sonali7
Big-O notation basically is a mathematical notation that describes the limiting behavior of a function when the argument tends towards a particular value or infinity. It is an Asymptotic Notation for the worst case, which is also the ceiling of growth for a given function. It provides us with what is called an asymptotic upper bound for the growth rate of runtime of an algorithm or program.

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