What will be the worst-case time complexity to find the smallest element in an unsorted array? a) O(1) b) O(log n) c) O(n log n) d) O(n)
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the worst-case time complexity of finding the smallest element in an unsorted array. To find the smallest element, we need to examine each element at least once, which leads us to analyze the time complexity appropriately.
Answer
O(n).
The final answer is O(n).
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is O(n).
More Information
To find the smallest element in an unsorted array, each element must be checked at least once. This makes the worst-case time complexity O(n), where n is the number of elements in the array.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming sorting time complexities apply. Sorting first to find the minimum takes more time.
Sources
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