Computing the 10,000th Fibonacci number in less than a second. Unveiling the Secrets of Giant Numbers: Building Your Own BigInt
In this exciting journey, we explore the evolution of Fibonacci calculations, from the inefficiency of traditional recursion to the powerful domain of matrix multiplication and optimized algorithms. Ready for an exciting exploration of big numbers and exciting code? Let's dive in!
Part 0: The Recursive Dilemma – Traditional Fibonacci Computation
Before we delve into the realm of optimized algorithms and matrix magic, let's embark on a journey that traces back to the traditional method of calculating Fibonacci numbers through recursion. While this approach seems intuitive and simple, it quickly reveals its inefficiency as the numbers grow larger.
Traditional Recursive Approach
The Fibonacci sequence is often defined recursively, where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones: F(n) = F(n-1) + F(n-2). Let's implement this definition using a recursive function in Rust:
Time Complexity Analysis
The time complexity of the recursive Fibonacci algorithm is approximately O(2^n), where n is the input number. This means that the computation time grows exponentially with the input size. As a result, even relatively small values of n can lead to considerable computation times.