Run-time analysis is a theoretical classification that estimates and anticipates the increase in ''[[DTIME|running time]]'' (or run-time) of an [[algorithm]] as its ''[[Information|input size]]'' (usually denoted as ''n'') increases. Run-time efficiency is a topic of great interest in [[computer science]]: A [[Computer program|program]] can take seconds, hours, or even years to finish executing, depending on which algorithm it implements. While [[software profiling]] techniques can be used to measure an algorithm's run-time in practice, they cannot provide timing data for all infinitely many possible inputs; the latter can only be achieved by the theoretical methods of run-time analysis.
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Run-time analysis is a theoretical classification that estimates and anticipates the increase in running time (or run-time) of an algorithm as its input size (usually denoted as n) increases. Run-time efficiency is a topic of great interest in computer science: A program can take seconds, hours, or even years to finish executing, depending on which algorithm it implements. While software profiling techniques can be used to measure an algorithm's run-time in practice, they cannot provide timing data for all infinitely many possible inputs; the latter can only be achieved by the theoretical methods of run-time analysis.