Chapter 5 Summary
Chapter 5 dived deep into search algorithms, an essential part of computer science and programming. The focus of this chapter was to enable you, the reader, to understand the theoretical background of different search algorithms, as well as gaining hands-on experience with coding examples and practical problems.
We began with the most basic search algorithm, the linear search. This straightforward yet essential algorithm offers the basis for many more complex algorithms and serves as a perfect starting point for this chapter. The linear search sequentially checks each element in a list until it finds a match or exhausts all possibilities. We highlighted its simplicity, as well as its downside in terms of efficiency, especially when dealing with large lists, with an average time complexity of O(n).
Next, we ventured into binary search, a much more efficient algorithm that operates on sorted lists. By continually dividing the list in half and determining which half to...