Why is it important to consider algorithm efficiency during development?

The efficiency of algorithms is important because it directly affects the performance and scalability of programs.

If an algorithm runs slowly or consumes too many resources, it can lead to:

• Delays in application processing
• Increased memory and CPU usage
• Inability to process large volumes of data

For example, sorting a list of a million elements with a quadratic complexity algorithm (O(n²)) will take significantly longer than an algorithm with logarithmic complexity (O(n log n)). Therefore, it is important to choose and optimize algorithms during development to ensure acceptable response times and resource usage.