Non-deterministic polynomial time (NP) refers to a complexity class used in computational theory, where decision problems can be verified by a non-deterministic algorithm in polynomial time. This means that if a solution exists, it can be checked quickly, even if finding that solution may take a longer time. NP is crucial for understanding the efficiency of algorithms and plays a key role in classifying problems based on their computational difficulty, particularly in the context of NP-completeness proofs.
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