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Linear Search

Last updated on Friday, April 26, 2024.

Definition:

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Linear search is a simple searching algorithm that sequentially checks each element in a list or array until the target value is found or the entire list has been traversed. It is a basic method for finding a specific value within a collection of data.

The Concept of Linear Search in Computer Science

Linear search, also known as sequential search, is a simple searching algorithm used to find the position of a target value within a list or array. It sequentially checks each element of the list until a match is found or the whole list is traversed.

How Does Linear Search Work?

The linear search algorithm starts at the beginning of the list and compares each element one by one with the target value. If a match is found, the search stops, and the position of the element is returned. If the target value is not found in the list, the search continues until the end, indicating that the element is not present.

Key Points about Linear Search:

1. Simplicity: Linear search is easy to implement and understand, making it suitable for small lists or unsorted data.

2. Efficiency: While linear search has a time complexity of O(n) where n is the number of elements in the list, it becomes inefficient for large datasets as the search time increases linearly with the size of the list.

3. Use Cases: Linear search can be useful when dealing with short lists, and the list is unsorted, or there is a need to find the first occurrence of a value within the list.

Example of Linear Search:

Let's consider an array of numbers: [5, 2, 9, 1, 7, 4]. If we want to search for the value 7 using linear search, we would start from the beginning and compare each element with 7 until we find a match. In this case, the position of 7 in the array is 4 (indexing starts from 0).

In conclusion, linear search is a fundamental algorithm in computer science that provides a basic approach to searching for elements within a list. While it may not be the most efficient for large datasets, its simplicity and ease of implementation make it a valuable tool in certain scenarios.

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