Karp reductions

Karp reductions are a way to compare the difficulty of computational problems. Imagine transforming one problem into another using a specific method, such that solving the second problem also effectively solves the first. If this transformation can be done efficiently, we say the first problem is reducible to the second. Karp reductions are used in computer science to identify problems that are equally hard, helping categorize their complexity. They are particularly important for understanding NP-complete problems, where solving one efficiently would mean all NP problems could be solved efficiently.