Linear Search

If this isn’t the one you are looking for, try the next

This is a rather basic searching algorithm, but it is actually useful in practice when you just need to find an element in an array — and you suspect the element is towards the beginning of the array (or just don’t want to think too hard)

Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash

Difficulty: Beginner | Easy | Normal | Challenging

Prerequisites:

• Know what an algorithm is (unsure? Guide HERE)
• Be able to read Pseudocode
• Know what an array is (Guide HERE)

Terminology

Iteration: Each time a set of instructions is executed in a loop is an iteration

Linear Search: An algorithm to look for a target within an array, starting with the first item and moving through the next one in turn until the element is found

Why do we need to search

To find an item on a computer, we need to think like a computer. Each time a computer checks to see if the item is the one it wants, that is a comparison.

And here is the thing: Comparisons cost time.

Now computers are inherently ordered things. This might be surprising, but essentially what I’m saying is that…