[Solved]: Exponential time algorithms

Problem Detail: 

Wiki define Polynomial time as fallow:

An algorithm is said to be of polynomial time if its running time is upper bounded by a polynomial expression in the size of the input for the algorithm, i.e., $T(n) = O(n^k)$ for some constant $k$

I understand that in general speaking the difference between Polynomial time and Exponential time is that exponential function grows strictly faster than any polynomial function, asymptotically(reference).

I am trying to understand the core definition of Exponential time.

1. What elements will make one algorithm to run in Exponential time?
2. What change do I need to do in the polynomial expression to make it Exponential time?(By it I am referring to the algorithm definition in the beginning of the question)

Asked By : Ilya_Gazman

Answered By : ymbirtt

1. There's no easy answer for this one, though there are signs to look out for. Examining every possible subset of a set, for instance, is exponential - so if I had a set of integers $\{x_1,...,x_n\}$, and wanted to check every subset of these to see if they sum to $0$, I'd have to consider exactly $2^n$ subsets, which makes this method exponential time. Several different traps can make an algorithm exponential time, however, so rather than looking out for broad categories, analyse algorithms on a case-by-case basis.

2. If an algorithm takes $n^2$ steps to complete, then it's polynomial. If it takes $2^n$ steps, it's exponential. The difference is the position of the $n$. If something is $O(n^m)$ for $n> 1$, $m>0$, then it's polynomial in $n$ for fixed $m$, but exponential in $m$ for fixed $n$.

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Question Source : http://cs.stackexchange.com/questions/18744