First, there is no such thing as "galactic RAM". Second, there are three images of the same graph, each showing how access times aren't linear when they cross

First, there is no such thing as "galactic RAM". Second, there are three images of the same graph, each showing how access times aren't linear when they cross cache boundaries. There aren't any transforms and there aren't any aggregate transforms f -> f’. Third, algorithmic complexity is about abstract amounts of work relative to amount of elements. It isn't about "a series of sub-systems" or "galactic RAM". This article shouldn't use big O notation because it isn't really about algorithms, it is just about non constant access times.