Finding recurrence relations of an algorithm
- by Roarke
I'm reading my algorithms text book, and I'm reading about recurrence relations and finding the algorithms big O complexity. I run across this line 
"In the case of the merge-sort algorithm, we get the recurrence equation:
    t(n) = b                  if n < 2
         = 2t(n/2) +bn        if n >= 2
for b > 0
my response was "how the heck did we know that?!?!"
So i'm wondering if there is a systematic approach, or just a logical way of getting these recurrence relations from the algorithms
can some one explain where the b and the two 2's come from?