title: How do you show that one algorithm is more efficient than another algorithm?
body: <p>I'm no professional programmer and I don't study it. I'm an aerospace student and did a numeric method for my diploma thesis and also coded a program to prove that it works.</p>
  
  <p>I did several methods and implemented several algorithms and tried to show the proofs why different situations needed their own algorithm to solve the task.</p>
  
  <p>I did this proof with a mathematical approach, but some algorithm was so specific that I do know what they do and they do it right, but it was very hard to find a mathematical function or something to show how many iterations or loops it has to do until it finishes.</p>
  
  <p>So, I would like to know how you do this comparison.  Do you also present a mathematical function, or do you just do a speedtest of both algorithms, and if you do it mathematically, how do you do that? Do you learn this during your university studies, or how?</p>
  
  <p>Thank you in advance, Andreas</p>