Which asymptotic notation represents a tight bound on an algorithm’s growth rate?

Options

  • A. Big-O
  • B. Big-Ω
  • C. Big-Θ
  • D. More than one of the above
  • E. None of the above

Correct Answer (Detailed Explanation is Below)

C. Big-Θ

Detailed Explanation

Big-Θ (Theta) represents a tight asymptotic bound. If an algorithm is Θ(N), its growth is bounded both above and below by constant multiples of N for sufficiently large N. Therefore, Θ gives more precise asymptotic information than O alone when both upper and lower bounds match. For example, a loop that always processes every element of an array has Θ(N) running time.