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The notation can also be used to describe a computational problem. In that case it characterizes the problem's complexity through the best known algorithm that solves it.
Examples: searching in an unordered container of ''n'' elements has the complexity of O(''n''). [[Binary search]] in an ordered container with random element access is O(log ''n''). The term random access actually means that the complexity of access is constant, i.e. O(1).
Here are some typical complexity classes listed from 'slowest' to 'fastest' (that is, slower algorithms have Big-O's near the top):
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*O(n<sup>3</sup>) ('cubic')
*O(n<sup>2</sup>) ('quadratic')
*O(n*log(n)) (fastest possible time for a [[:Category:Sorting Algorithms|comparison sort]])
*O(n) ('linear')
*O(log(n)) ('logarithmic')
*O(1) ('constant')
See also [
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