Limits of computational problem solving

Exponential Growth

As problem size increases, the number of possible solutions or states grows exponentially, leading to significant increases in computational requirements and difficulty in solving the problem.

Brute-force Approach

Trying every possible solution becomes impractical for large problems due to the exponential growth in potential solutions, resulting in excessive computation times.

Memory Usage

Large datasets or complex problems can exceed memory limits, making it difficult to manage and process all required information effectively.

State Space Explosion

As problems grow, the number of possible states can rapidly exceed memory capacity, complicating the management and processing of these states.

Algorithm Efficiency

Problems that are easy to verify but hard to solve from scratch may require approximation algorithms to find near-optimal solutions when exact methods are too slow.

Intractable Problems

Some problems, like the Halting Problem, are unsolvable by any algorithm. NP-hard problems are particularly challenging and often require complex or approximate solutions.

Practical Constraints

Computers have limitations in speed and memory, and time and financial constraints can further impact the ability to solve complex problems effectively.