Math Fundamentals18 sections · 814 units
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Common Logarithm Mistakes (Pitfalls to avoid)

What to watch out for

1.1. Confusing log⁡(n)\log(n) with log⁡(log⁡(n))\log(\log(n)). The latter is much smaller (double logarithm) and appears in advanced data structures like van Emde Boas trees.

2.2. Forgetting that log⁡(ab)=log⁡(a)+log⁡(b)\log(ab) = \log(a) + \log(b), not log⁡(a)×log⁡(b)\log(a) \times \log(b). Logarithms turn multiplication into addition.

3.3. Assuming O(log⁡n)O(\log n) means the algorithm divides the input. Not always. Sometimes the input size is fixed but the value range is halved (like binary search on values).