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Software Engineering vocabulary · Data Structures and Algorithms

Brute force

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/ˌbruːt ˈfɔːrs/nounCommon term

In software engineering, brute force means: A simple approach that tries every possible option until it finds the answer. It is easy to write but often too slow for large inputs.

In Turkish: kaba kuvvet, tüm olasılıkları deneme

How it is used

In interviews, candidates often start with 'the brute-force solution' and then optimize it. It is written with a hyphen before a noun. In security, a 'brute-force attack' tries many passwords until one works.

Example sentences

  1. The brute-force solution is O(n²); can you do better with a hash map?

  2. Brute force works for 100 items, but our real data has ten million.

Common collocations

  • brute-force solution
  • brute-force approach
  • brute-force attack
  • start with brute force
  • algorithmA clear, step-by-step method for solving a problem or doing a task, such as sorting a list or finding the shortest route between two points.
  • time complexityHow the number of steps an algorithm takes grows as the size of its input grows, usually written in Big O notation.
  • Big O notationA way of describing how the running time or memory use of an algorithm grows as the input gets bigger, for example O(1), O(n) or O(n²).
  • hash mapA data structure that stores key-value pairs and finds the value for a given key very quickly, usually in constant time.

More terms: Data Structures and Algorithms

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