Why it matters

Amortized analysis unifies bounds. Understanding shapes analysis.

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The architecture

Aggregate: total cost / n.

Accounting: assign amortized cost.

Potential: track potential function.

Amortized analysis methodsAggregate methodtotal / nAccounting methodamortized cost assignPotential methodphi functionTarjan 1985; foundation for Fibonacci heap + splay tree + others
Amortized analysis.
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How it works end to end

Tarjan 1985 systematizes.

Dynamic array append: amortized O(1).

Union-Find: near O(1).