The Power of Back of the Envelope Math in System Design

💡Back of the envelope math is a useful tool for quickly estimating important metrics in system design.

🔢Absolute accuracy is not necessary for back of the envelope math; getting within an order of magnitude or two is often sufficient.

📊Popular numbers to estimate include requests per second and queries per second.

🧮Back of the envelope math simplifies calculations by converting big numbers to scientific notation.

💻Back of the envelope math can be used to estimate storage requirements for storing multimedia files.

What is back of the envelope math?

—Back of the envelope math is a technique used to quickly estimate important metrics in system design. It involves making rough calculations using approximate values.

Is absolute accuracy important in back of the envelope math?

—No, absolute accuracy is not necessary in back of the envelope math. It is more important to get within an order of magnitude or two of the actual numbers.

What are some popular numbers to estimate in system design?

—Some popular numbers to estimate include requests per second and queries per second.

How does back of the envelope math simplify calculations?

—Back of the envelope math simplifies calculations by converting big numbers to scientific notation, making multiplication and division easier.

Can back of the envelope math be used to estimate storage requirements?

—Yes, back of the envelope math can be used to estimate storage requirements for storing multimedia files, such as pictures and videos.

00:02Back of the envelope math is a useful tool for quickly estimating important metrics in system design.

00:25Absolute accuracy is not necessary for back of the envelope math; getting within an order of magnitude or two is often sufficient.

01:20Popular numbers to estimate include requests per second and queries per second.

02:47Back of the envelope math simplifies calculations by converting big numbers to scientific notation.

03:59Back of the envelope math can be used to estimate storage requirements for storing multimedia files.