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Java

Posted by Karl Marx Lopez
Karl Marx Lopez
1,369 Points

Is it required to master that Big O Notation?

I read half of the articcle in https://www.interviewcake.com/article/java/big-o-notation-time-and-space-complexity. I did not finished it because it hurts my brain. Does it make me a better programmer if I understand it?

1 Answer

Jeff Wilton
Jeff Wilton
16,646 Points

You are asking two different questions, so I will give you two answers.

Is it required to master that Big O Notation? No

Does it make me a better programmer if I understand it? Yes!

Let me elaborate a bit. I personally believe that understanding the concepts of Big O Notation are vital to becoming a good programmer. You need to at the very least understand the implications of your code, specifically loops and nested loops, so you can get better at optimizing your code. It is not necessarily going to sink in overnight, but the more you read about it, the more it will start to make sense - so be sure to check out some other articles regarding code optimization. I will also add that writing clean code should be the ultimate goal of software craftsmanship. If you end up having to write some complicated, ugly code in order to achieve the highest level of optimization possible, it is likely not worth it. So mind the gap and be aware that there is a balance between optimization and code cleanliness.

Happy Coding!

Karl Marx Lopez
Karl Marx Lopez
1,369 Points

Thanks for this Jeff Wilton