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Binary Search

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22 views

Binary Search

Uploaded by

Janani.k
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Binary Search

Done by
K .Ram prasath
Binary
Search

Binary Search is a fundamental


algorithm used for searching within a
sorted array. Its primary advantage lies
in its ability to significantly reduce the
search time complexity to O(log N).
how to work in Binary Search
Initialize: Start with two pointers representing the bounds of the array: low (beginning of the array)
and high (end of the array).
Find the Middle: Calculate the middle index mid as low + (high - low) / 2.

Compare: Check if the middle element is equal to the target value.


If it is, the search is complete.
If the middle element is greater than the target, narrow the search to the left half by setting
high to mid - 1.
If the middle element is less than the target, narrow the search to the right half by setting low to
mid + 1.
Repeat: Continue steps 2 and 3 until the target value is found or the low pointer exceeds the high
pointer, indicating the target is not in the array.
Complexity Analysis of
Binary Search:
Time Complexity:
Best Case: The best-case scenario occurs when the target value is located at the midpoint of the array
during the first comparison. This results in a complexity of ( O(1) ) because only a single comparison is made.
Average Case: On average, the algorithm splits the array into halves to find the target value. This means
that with each iteration, the size of the problem is reduced by half, leading to a logarithmic time
complexity, which is ( O(\log N) ).
Worst Case: The worst-case scenario happens when the target value is at one end of the array or not
present at all. In such cases, the algorithm will perform the maximum number of splits possible, which also
results in a time complexity of ( O(\log N) ).
Auxiliary Space:
Iterative Method: When using the iterative method, the space complexity remains constant, ( O(1) ),
because the algorithm uses a fixed amount of additional space (for variables like low, high, and mid).
Recursive Method: If the binary search is implemented recursively, the auxiliary space depends on the
height of the recursion tree, which is ( O(\log N) ). This is because each recursive call adds a new layer to the
call stack, and the maximum depth of the recursion tree is proportional to the number of times the array
can be halved, which is ( \log N ).
How to Implement
Binary Search?
The Binary Search Algorithm can be implemented in the following two ways

Iterative Binary Search Algorithm: The iterative approach uses a loop to


reduce the search space by half with each iteration until the target element
is found or the search space is exhausted.

Recursive Binary Search Algorithm: The recursive approach uses the same
principle as the iterative one but divides the problem into smaller sub-
problems using recursive calls.
Conditions for when to apply Binary
Search in a DataStructure:
Binary Search is an efficient algorithm for finding an element in a sorted data
structure. Here are the conditions for when to apply Binary Search:

Sorted Data: The data structure must be sorted in order for Binary Search to work
correctly.
Direct Access: The data structure should allow direct access to any element in
constant time, which is typical of arrays.
Large Data Sets: It is particularly useful for large data sets because it significantly
reduces the number of comparisons needed compared to linear search.
Contiguous Memory: Binary Search is most efficient when the data is stored in
contiguous memory, as in the case of arrays.
Non-complex Structure: The data should not have complex relationships or
structures that would impede the direct access required by Binary Search.
Advantage Disadvantages
Fast search time: Binary search has a time Requires sorted data: The data must be sorted
complexity of O(log n), making it much beforehand, which can be a disadvantage if
faster than linear search for large data sets. sorting has not already been done.
Uses less memory: It doesn’t require Not efficient for small arrays: For small data
additional storage space, as it operates sets, the overhead of the algorithm may not be
directly on the sorted array. worth it, and a linear search could be more
Works on sorted data: It’s specifically practical.
designed for sorted arrays, which is Poor performance on linked lists: Binary
common in many applications. search requires direct access to the middle
Easy to understand: The algorithm is elements, which is not efficient with linked lists.
straightforward, making it simple to learn Repeated elements cause inefficiency: If
and implement. there are many identical elements, binary
Efficient for large data: The larger the data search can perform unnecessary comparisons.
set, the more efficient binary search Not suitable for mutable data: If the data
becomes compared to other search changes frequently, maintaining a sorted order
method. becomes a challenge, making binary search
less suitable.
Application of
Binary search
Searching in Sorted Arrays: The primary use of binary search is to find an element in a sorted
array efficiently.
Finding Square Roots: Binary search can determine if a number is a perfect square by
searching through a range of integer.
Finding the First Occurrence: It can locate the first element in a sorted array that is
greater than or equal to a given value.
Computing Frequency: Binary search helps in finding the frequency of a target value
in a sorted array of integers.
Peak Finding: It’s used to find a peak element in an array where elements first increase
and then decrease.
Rotated Array Search: If a sorted array is rotated, binary search can still find a target
value within it
THANK
YOU

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