, approximately , arithmetic operations. Strassen's algorithm replaces an matrix multiplication by seven products of half-size blocks and a constant number of block additions and subtractions. Consequently
The Master theorem applies with , , since . Padding an arbitrary matrix dimension to the next power of two changes the dimension by less than a factor of two and preserves this asymptotic bound. The cost model counts scalar arithmetic as constant time; it is not a bit-complexity claim for arbitrarily large integer entries.
Volker Strassen 2026-10-24
A mathematician known for Strassen's algorithm and contributions to efficient algorithms.[ref]
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