INSTRUMENTATION-BASED DETECTION OF ACCIDENTAL ALGORITHMIC COMPLEXITY OF A PROCEDURE

Techniques are described herein that are capable of detecting accidental algorithmic complexity of a procedure by using instrumentation. A number of times a parent procedure calls a child procedure during each of multiple executions of the parent procedure is detected by using instrumentation to provide call counts for the respective executions. A value of an attribute of the parent procedure during each of the executions is detected by using the instrumentation to provide attribute values for the respective executions. A function is generated that defines a curve that estimates a relationship between the attribute values for the respective executions and the call counts for the respective executions. Based at least on a slope of the curve, accidental algorithmic complexity of the parent procedure is determined. Based at least on the accidental algorithmic complexity satisfying a complexity criterion, a remedial action is performed with regard to the accidental algorithmic complexity.