Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Execution time refers to the amount of time it takes for a program or task to complete its execution on a computer system. It is influenced by factors such as processor speed, memory access, and the complexity of the program.
Related terms
Latency: Latency refers to the delay between initiating a task and its actual execution. It includes factors like data retrieval from memory or disk storage, which can impact overall execution time.
Throughput: Throughput measures the number of tasks or operations completed per unit of time. It represents how efficiently a system can process multiple tasks simultaneously.
Bottleneck: A bottleneck is a component or resource that limits the overall performance of a system. Identifying and resolving bottlenecks is crucial for optimizing execution time in computer systems.