What does "algorithm efficiency" measure?

Algorithm efficiency primarily measures how effectively an algorithm utilizes resources, especially time and space, during its execution. This involves evaluating how quickly an algorithm can perform its tasks (time efficiency) and how much memory it consumes (space efficiency).

When discussing efficiency, it’s important to understand that an algorithm’s effectiveness is often evaluated in relation to the size of its input, which may influence the scalability and practical performance of the algorithm on larger datasets. An efficient algorithm minimizes the use of system resources, which is crucial for applications requiring high performance or operating under limited constraints.

In contrast, the other aspects mentioned in the choices, such as the accuracy of output, speed of data access, and complexity of the design, focus on different facets of algorithms that do not directly pertain to overall resource efficiency. While an effective algorithm is expected to provide correct results and potentially involve complex design, these factors do not characterize its efficiency in resource utilization.