What happens if the target value is not present in the array during a binary sea

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Question: What happens if the target value is not present in the array during a binary search?

Options:

Correct Answer: The search returns -1

Solution:

If the target value is not found, binary search typically returns -1 to indicate absence.

What happens if the target value is not present in the array during a binary search?

What happens if the target value is not present in the array during a binary search?

Step 1: Start with a sorted array and a target value you want to find.
Step 2: Set two pointers, one at the beginning of the array (left) and one at the end (right).
Step 3: Calculate the middle index of the array using the formula: middle = (left + right) / 2.
Step 4: Check if the value at the middle index is equal to the target value.
Step 5: If it is equal, return the middle index as the position of the target value.
Step 6: If the target value is less than the middle value, move the right pointer to middle - 1.
Step 7: If the target value is greater than the middle value, move the left pointer to middle + 1.
Step 8: Repeat steps 3 to 7 until the left pointer is greater than the right pointer.
Step 9: If the left pointer exceeds the right pointer, it means the target value is not in the array.
Step 10: Return -1 to indicate that the target value is absent.

Binary Search – A search algorithm that finds the position of a target value within a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
Return Value – The convention of returning -1 or a similar value to indicate that the target is not present in the array.