Big Oh Notation - formal definition

Question

I\'m reading a textbook right now for my Java III class. We\'re reading about Big-Oh and I\'m a little confused by its formal definition.

Formal Definition: \"A func

Answer 1

The whole thing about picking numbers is just this: To make it easier. Because you're allowed to pick any numbers you like for N and c, the author just picks something, where it's most easy to see. And that's what you can also do (when writing an exam etc).

So while it would often be possible to use a smaller N, the reasoning would become a little bit harder (often requiring some previous knowledge about analysis - we've all learnt years before, that x doesn't grow as fast as x^2... But do you want to write down the analysis proof?)

Keep it simple, is the message :-) It's just a bit strange to get used to this at first.