Algorithm efficiency refers to the measure of the computational resources required by an algorithm to solve a problem, typically in terms of time and space complexity. It is crucial for optimizing performance, especially in large-scale applications where resource constraints are significant.
The SCAN algorithm is a disk scheduling algorithm that services requests by moving the disk arm towards one end of the disk and then reversing direction to service requests in the opposite direction, similar to an elevator. This approach minimizes seek time by ensuring that the disk arm services requests in one direction before reversing, thus providing a more efficient and predictable scheduling method compared to other algorithms like FCFS or SSTF.
Disk arm scheduling is a crucial process in operating systems that optimizes the order in which read and write requests are serviced to minimize seek time, thereby improving overall system performance. It involves algorithms that determine the most efficient path for the disk arm to take across the platters, balancing between fairness and efficiency.