Chapter 4: Orders of Growth and Tree Recursion

Θ (Big Theta) Terminology

The lower and upper bounds on H(n) are both multiples of n²; we say this another way:

H(n) = Θ(n²)

Read: "H is big Theta of n squared."

Meaning: For all but perhaps finite many exceptions, H(n) is known to lie between two multiples of n².

Below is a graph showing H(n) (in purple) being bounded above by 2n² (in green) and below by ¼n² (in red).

¼n² ≤ H(n) ≤ 2n²

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