How Linear Search Works
index 016 of 16 still possible15
- Ruled out
- Still possible
- Checked now
- Found
1/15
Looking for 158 in 16 sorted values, from 4 to 196.
Settings
More options
Is it in the array?
Gaps between values
Two to 64 numbers. Sorted ascending before the search runs.
Linear Search
- 1
for i in 0..n-1: - 2
if a[i] == target: - 3
return i - 4
if a[i] > target: - 5
return NOT_FOUND // sorted - 6
return NOT_FOUND
How the Six Compare
| Algorithm | Best | Average | Worst | Needs a sorted array |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | O(1) | O(n) | O(n) | No |
| Binary | O(1) | O(log n) | O(log n) | Yes |
| Ternary | O(1) | O(log n) | O(log n) | Yes |
| Jump | O(1) | O(√n) | O(√n) | Yes |
| Exponential | O(1) | O(log n) | O(log n) | Yes |
| Interpolation | O(1) | O(log log n)* | O(n) | Yes |
Scroll the table sideways for the rest of the columns.
Interpolation search only reaches that average when the gaps between the values are even.