Do we drop constants for Space Complexity too?
Yes, the exact same mathematical rules apply. Using 2 arrays of size N is O(2N) space, which simplifies to O(N) space complexity.
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More FAQs in Why We Drop Constants in Big O Notation
Because Big O describes the overarching growth trend as data scales to infinity. A multiplier of 2 does not change the fact that the growth is linear.
In real-world milliseconds, O(N) is twice as fast. But in Big O academic notation, they belong to the exact same 'Linear' classification bucket.
It is a slower-growing term in a mathematical equation. For example, in O(N^2 + N), the N is non-dominant because as numbers get huge, N^2 completely overshadows it.
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