Which term is used to describe the study of an algorithm's resource usage, such as time and space?

Which term is used to describe the study of an algorithm's resource usage, such as time and space?

• A. Pseudocode
• B. Bubble Sort
• C. Algorithm Analysis
• D. Binary Search

Answer: (C)

The study of how much time and space an algorithm uses as input size grows is called algorithm analysis. It focuses on how resource requirements scale, often expressed with Big-O notation, so we can compare efficiency without tying the discussion to a specific computer or moment in time. This analysis looks at time complexity (how long it runs) and space complexity (how much extra memory it uses), and it can consider worst-case, average-case, and best-case scenarios. Pseudocode is simply a human-friendly way to describe steps, not the analysis itself, while Binary Search and Bubble Sort are specific algorithms; their behavior is what we analyze, not the study of the costs, which is algorithm analysis.

The study of how much time and space an algorithm uses as input size grows is called algorithm analysis. It focuses on how resource requirements scale, often expressed with Big-O notation, so we can compare efficiency without tying the discussion to a specific computer or moment in time. This analysis looks at time complexity (how long it runs) and space complexity (how much extra memory it uses), and it can consider worst-case, average-case, and best-case scenarios. Pseudocode is simply a human-friendly way to describe steps, not the analysis itself, while Binary Search and Bubble Sort are specific algorithms; their behavior is what we analyze, not the study of the costs, which is algorithm analysis.