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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of searching in data structures?
What is the primary purpose of searching in data structures?
- To find the location of a desired key element (correct)
- To replace elements in a list
- To eliminate duplicates in a list
- To sort elements based on value
Which search algorithm requires checking every element one at a time until the desired key is found?
Which search algorithm requires checking every element one at a time until the desired key is found?
- Bubble Sort
- Hash Search
- Binary Search
- Linear Search (correct)
What value is returned by a linear search if the desired key is not found?
What value is returned by a linear search if the desired key is not found?
- 1
- -1 (correct)
- N
- 0
In terms of time complexity, what is the worst-case scenario for linear search?
In terms of time complexity, what is the worst-case scenario for linear search?
Which data structures can be searched using linear search?
Which data structures can be searched using linear search?
What is a key characteristic of binary search compared to linear search?
What is a key characteristic of binary search compared to linear search?
Which of the following statements about linear search is true?
Which of the following statements about linear search is true?
If a linear search needs to examine each element in an array of size 10, how many maximum comparisons will it make?
If a linear search needs to examine each element in an array of size 10, how many maximum comparisons will it make?
Flashcards
Searching
Searching
The process of finding the location of a specific data element within a data structure like an array, linked list, or tree.
Linear Search
Linear Search
A search algorithm that starts at the beginning of a data structure and examines each element one by one until the desired element is found or the end is reached.
Worst-Case Time Complexity of Linear Search
Worst-Case Time Complexity of Linear Search
The maximum number of comparisons required to find a specific element in a data structure using linear search. It occurs when the desired element is the last element in the list or when the element is not present.
Average-Case Time Complexity of Linear Search
Average-Case Time Complexity of Linear Search
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Best-Case Time Complexity of Linear Search
Best-Case Time Complexity of Linear Search
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Study Notes
Searching Algorithms
- Searching involves finding a specific item within a collection of data.
- The appropriate search algorithm depends on the data structure.
- Two common search algorithms are linear search and binary search.
Linear Search
- A sequential search method.
- Starting at the beginning of the list, comparing each element to the desired key.
- Continues until a match is found or the end of the list is reached.
Linear Search Example
- Best-case time complexity: O(1) – The desired key is found at the first element.
- Worst-case time complexity: O(n) – The desired key is found at the last position.
- Average-case time complexity: O(n) – The average number of comparisons is proportional to the length of the list.
Binary Search
- Effective only on sorted data.
- Starts by comparing the key to the middle element.
- If the target matches, the algorithm returns its location.
- If the target is smaller, search continues in the lower half; otherwise, in the upper half.
- Repeats the process until the key is found.
- Halves the search space with each comparison.
Binary Search Example
- Best-case time complexity: O(1) – Key is found at first comparison.
- Worst-case time complexity: O(log n)
- Average-case time complexity: O(log n) – Number of comparisons is proportional to log2(n).
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