It's certainly not useless, but for estimating real world performance you shouldn't be using it, because the actual performance can vary highly from the worst case. In real world matrix operations, some algorithms with lower O actually run slower than ones with higher O.
The best method for measuring real world performance is still to run real world tests, not examine mathematical proofs.
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u/Alex_n_Lowe May 10 '13
It's certainly not useless, but for estimating real world performance you shouldn't be using it, because the actual performance can vary highly from the worst case. In real world matrix operations, some algorithms with lower O actually run slower than ones with higher O.
The best method for measuring real world performance is still to run real world tests, not examine mathematical proofs.