<
complexity> A set or property of computational {search
problems}. A
problem is
NP-hard if solving it in {polynomial
time} would make it possible to solve all problems in class
NP in polynomial time.
Some
NP-hard problems are also in
NP (these are called
"
NP-complete"), some are not. If you could reduce an
NP
problem to an
NP-hard
problem and then solve it in polynomial
time, you could solve all
NP problems.
See also
computational complexity.
[
Examples?]
(1995-04-10)