Computational complexityIn computer science, the computational complexity or simply complexity of an algorithm is the amount of resources required to run it. Particular focus is given to computation time (generally measured by the number of needed elementary operations) and memory storage requirements. The complexity of a problem is the complexity of the best algorithms that allow solving the problem. The study of the complexity of explicitly given algorithms is called analysis of algorithms, while the study of the complexity of problems is called computational complexity theory.
Théorie de la complexité (informatique théorique)vignette|Quelques classes de complexité étudiées dans le domaine de la théorie de la complexité. Par exemple, P est la classe des problèmes décidés en temps polynomial par une machine de Turing déterministe. La théorie de la complexité est le domaine des mathématiques, et plus précisément de l'informatique théorique, qui étudie formellement le temps de calcul, l'espace mémoire (et plus marginalement la taille d'un circuit, le nombre de processeurs, l'énergie consommée ...) requis par un algorithme pour résoudre un problème algorithmique.
Asymptotic computational complexityIn computational complexity theory, asymptotic computational complexity is the usage of asymptotic analysis for the estimation of computational complexity of algorithms and computational problems, commonly associated with the usage of the big O notation. With respect to computational resources, asymptotic time complexity and asymptotic space complexity are commonly estimated. Other asymptotically estimated behavior include circuit complexity and various measures of parallel computation, such as the number of (parallel) processors.
Theory of computationIn theoretical computer science and mathematics, the theory of computation is the branch that deals with what problems can be solved on a model of computation, using an algorithm, how efficiently they can be solved or to what degree (e.g., approximate solutions versus precise ones). The field is divided into three major branches: automata theory and formal languages, computability theory, and computational complexity theory, which are linked by the question: "What are the fundamental capabilities and limitations of computers?".
Parallel programming modelIn computing, a parallel programming model is an abstraction of parallel computer architecture, with which it is convenient to express algorithms and their composition in programs. The value of a programming model can be judged on its generality: how well a range of different problems can be expressed for a variety of different architectures, and its performance: how efficiently the compiled programs can execute. The implementation of a parallel programming model can take the form of a library invoked from a sequential language, as an extension to an existing language, or as an entirely new language.