Given two structures $G$ and $H$ distinguishable in $fo k$ (first-order logic with $k$ variables), let $A^k(G,H)$ denote the minimum alternation depth of a $fo k$ formula distinguishing $G$ from $H$. Let $A^k(n)$ be the maximum value of $A^k(G,H)$ over $n$-element structures. We prove the strictness of the quantifier alternation hierarchy of $fo 2$ in a strong quantitative form, namely $A^2(n)ge n/8-2$, which is tight up to a constant factor. For each $kge2$, it holds that $A^k(n)>log_{k+1}n-2$ even over colored trees, which is also tight up to a constant factor if $kge3$. For $kge 3$ the last lower bound holds also over uncolored trees, while the alternation hierarchy of $fo 2$ collapses even over all uncolored graphs. We also show examples of colored graphs $G$ and $H$ on $n$ vertices that can be distinguished in $fo 2$ much more succinctly if the alternation number is increased just by one: while in $Sigma_{i}$ it is possible to distinguish $G$ from $H$ with bounded quantifier depth, in $Pi_{i}$ this requires quantifier depth $Omega(n^2)$. The quadratic lower bound is best possible here because, if $G$ and $H$ can be distinguished in $fo k$ with $i$ quantifier alternations, this can be done with quantifier depth $n^{2k-2}$.
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