Proper way to "say" Big-O notation?

Question

What is the proper way to convey an algorithm complexity in Big-O notation in speech?  Saying "the total number of operations is big oh of N log N" sounds strange, but the more pleasant "the total number of operations is proportional to N log N" is technically incorrect.  What's generally accepted?

James · Accepted Answer

You could say that it is limited or bounded by a factor N log N, rather than proportional. I've read tons of white papers that refer to performance of algorithms but for the life of me I can't remember how they're worded.

Chuck · Answer

I think the term came from an expression like "on the order of ..."
It is not a precise reference to speed, but describes roughly how the execution time will increase with increasing data size.

Proper way to "say" Big-O notation?

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