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What does "efficiency" mean in programming?

efficiency is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

The ability to accomplish a task using minimal resources — time, memory, CPU, or network bandwidth. An efficient algorithm produces the correct result faster or with less memory than a less efficient one.

Example

"The new algorithm is more efficient — it completes in O(n log n) instead of O(n²)."

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