Neither are strictly correct in isolation. Of course the complexity matters, and of course the coefficient and reality factors matter. Often focusing on a core

Neither are strictly correct in isolation. Of course the complexity matters, and of course the coefficient and reality factors matter. Often focusing on a core algorithm that's far too complex will save you time, money, and grief down the road. Engineering is, of course, knowing how to make the tradeoffs; but it certainly also involves knowing when one of those smart tradeoffs is time invested in getting your algorithmic complexity down.