19.3.1 O(1) Algorithms
Suppose an algorithm is designed to test whether the first element of an array is equal to the second. If the array has 10 elements, this algorithm requires one comparison. If the array has 1000 elements, it still requires one comparison. In fact, the algorithm is completely independent of the number of elements in the array. This algorithm is said to have a constant run time, which is represented in Big O notation as O(1) and pronounced as “order one.” An algorithm that’s O(1) does not necessarily require only one comparison. O(1) just means that the number of comparisons is constant—it does not grow as the size of the array increases. An algorithm that tests whether the first element of an array is equal to any of the ...
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