Binary Search

Algorithm

Submitted By:
Akash Gupta
3rd B.Tech Information
Technology (243/07)
 What basically a BSA is?
• A binary search is based on the
divide and conquer strategy.
• A binary search is an algorithm for
locating the position of an element in a
sorted list by checking the middle
element , eliminating half of the list from
consideration, and then performing the
search on the remaining half. If the
middle element is equal to the searched
value, then the position has been found;
otherwise, the upper half or lower half is
chosen for search based on whether the
element is greater than or less than the
•
• Generally, to find a value in unsorted array, we should
look through elements of an array one by one, until
searched value is found. In case of searched value is
absent from array, we go through all elements. In
average, complexity of such an algorithm is
proportional to the length of the array.

•
• Situation changes significantly, when array is sorted. If
we know it, random access capability can be utilized
very efficiently to find searched value quick. Cost of
searching algorithm reduces to binary logarithm of
the array length. For reference, log2(1 000 000) ≈
20. It means, that in worst case, algorithm makes
20 steps to find a value in sorted array of a million
elements or to say, that it doesn't present it the
array.
Algorithm :-
Algorithm is quite simple. It can be done
either recursively or iteratively:
1) Get the middle element;
2) If the middle element equals to the
searched value, the
algorithm stops;
3) Otherwise, two cases are possible:
1.Searched value is less, than the middle
element. In this case, go to the step 1
for the part of the array, before middle
element.
2.Searched value is greater, than the
middle element. In this case, go to the
step 1 for the part of the array, after
middle element.
Note : Now we should define , when iterations should
stop . First case is when searched element is found .
Second one is when subarray has no elements . In this
case , we can conclude , that searched value doesn't
present in the array
Case 1 . When Element is there in the
arrayList :
Find 6 in { 1 , 5 , 6 , 18 , 19 , 25 , 46 , 78 ,
102 , 114 }.
Step 1 ( middle element is 19 > 6 ) :   

1  5  6  18 19   25 
46 78  102  114

Step 2 ( middle element is 5 < 6 ):      

1  5   6   18  19  25 

46  78  102  114

Step 3 ( middle element is 6 == 6 ):    

Case 2.When the element is not present in the list
Find 103 in {1, 5, 6, 18, 19, 25, 46, 78, 102,
114}.

Step 1 (middle element is 19 < 103):   

1   5  6  18   19  
25   46  78  102  114
Step 2 (middle element is 78 < 103):   

1  5  6  18   19  
25  46  78  102  114
Step 3 (middle element is 102 < 103):  

1  5  6  18   19  
25   46   78   102   114
Step 4 (middle element is 114 > 103): 
 
1  5  6  18  19 
25  46  78  102  114
 Coding Of The Algorithm :

int binarySearch(int arr[], int value, int

left, int right) {
      while (left <= right) {
            int middle = (left + right) / 2;
            if (arr[middle] == value)
                  return middle;
            else if (arr[middle] > value)
                  right = middle - 1;
            else
                  left = middle + 1;
      }
      return -1;
}
 Time Complexity Of Binary
Search
• Suppose the time complexity is
measured by the number ‘k’ of
comparisons to locate the item in
the arrayList.
• Observe that each comparison
reduces the sample size in half.
• That is , which of the following will be
first be<1? n/2,n/4,n/8……n/2k,….
• We solve the equation n/2k <1 , and
get k>log2n
• So If we set k= log2n +1, then we know
that after that many iterations , we
will have found our item, or
concluded that it was not there…
• It means, that algorithm will do at
most log2(n) iterations, which is a
very small number even for big
arrays.
 Limitations Of Binary Search
Algorithm

Since the binary search algorithm is very
efficient , why would one want to use any other
search algorithm? Observe that BSA has two
conditions:


 (1)The list must be sorted…



 (2)One must have direct access to the middle element

in any sublist .This means that one must essentially
use a sorted array to hold the data . But keeping
data in a sorted array is normally very expensive
when there are many insertions and deletions..
Graph For Binary Search
Algorithm