Computing Atlas

How Computing Was Built
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Browse By

Exponential Time -- O(2^n)

This dimension groups algorithms by their time complexity, how the time an algorithm takes grows with the size of its input. Wikipedia notes that an algorithm "terminates after a finite number of steps," and how many steps it needs is exactly what time complexity measures. Browsing by time complexity keeps algorithms of a similar efficiency grouped together.

Facts
Comparison
Era of Emergence
1900 BCE 1
Exponential Time -- O(2^n)
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Cryptography
WikipediaCryptography, History section, earliest-use sentence
Quote, Cryptography, History section, earliest-use sentence
The earliest known use of cryptography is some carved ciphertext on stone in Egypt (c. 1900 BCE), but this may have been done for the amusement of literate observers rather than as a way of concealing information.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.