[Solved] When executing head -n 5 file.txt, what is the expected time complexity relative to the file size? — Ans: Time depends only on reading the first 5 lines, roughly constant | Linux CLI

Linux CLI - Viewing and Editing Files

When executing head -n 5 file.txt, what is the expected time complexity relative to the file size?

ATime depends on reading the entire file, linear with file size

BTime depends only on reading the first 5 lines, roughly constant

CTime depends on the number of characters in the file, quadratic

DTime depends on the number of lines after line 5

Step-by-Step Solution

Solution:

Step 1: Understand head behavior
head -n 5 reads only the first 5 lines, ignoring the rest.
Step 2: Time complexity
Since it reads a fixed number of lines, time is roughly constant regardless of file size.
Final Answer:
Time depends only on reading the first 5 lines, roughly constant -> Option B
Quick Check:
head reads fixed lines [OK]

Quick Trick: Fixed line count means constant time [OK]

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When executing head -n 5 file.txt, what is the expected time complexity relative to the file size?