# Asymptotic value in math.

What does the term $o(k^2)$ in $f(k)=k^2/2+o(k^2)$ mean ?

I have used the asymptotic notation only in context of algorithmic complexity.

With an analogy that, I am guessing it says $f(k)$ returns a value as great as $k^2/2$, and has another term that is at least of degree 2. But then it wouldn't be giving much info on $f(k)$, it could be of any order.

What i make out of $k^2/2+O(k)$ is $k^2$ is the term with the highest degree.

EDIT: I would also appreciate sound references to the topic.

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Presumably you want $f(k)$, or $f(x)=\frac{x^2}{2}+o(x^2)$. Context determines whether we are thinking of $x$ getting very large, or $x$ approaching $0$. In the "large" case, it means that $f(x)=\frac{x^2}{2}$ plus an error term $E(x)$ such that $\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{E(x)}{x^2}=0$. In the $x$ approaching $0$ case, it is similar, except the limit is as $x\to 0$. – André Nicolas Jan 2 '13 at 23:29

Maybe you mean that $f(k)=\frac{k^2}{2}+o(k^2)$, or that $f(x)=\frac{x^2}{2}+o(x^2)$. However, it is possible that you really do want $f(x)=\frac{k^2}{2}+o(k^2)$, where $k$ is some explicit function of $x$.
In any case, the expression is incomplete. We should really be writing something like $f(x)=\frac{x^2}{2}+o(x^2)$ as $x\to\infty$, or $f(x)=\frac{x^2}{2}+o(x^2)$ as $x\to 0$. However, this bit of additional information is often left out, because it is determined by the context. Because of the word "asymptotic" in the title, I will assume that "as $x\to\infty$" is meant.
In that case, the expression means that $$f(x)=\frac{x^2}{2}+E(x),$$ where $E(x)$ is an "error" term and $$\lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{E(x)}{x^2}=0.$$
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