What happens if you apply binary search on a sorted array with duplicate element

Practice Questions

Q1
What happens if you apply binary search on a sorted array with duplicate elements?
  1. It finds the first occurrence
  2. It finds the last occurrence
  3. It can find any occurrence
  4. It fails

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What happens if you apply binary search on a sorted array with duplicate elements?
  • Step 1: Start with a sorted array that contains duplicate elements.
  • Step 2: Choose a target value that you want to find in the array.
  • Step 3: Set two pointers: one at the beginning of the array (left) and one at the end (right).
  • Step 4: Calculate the middle index by using the formula: middle = (left + right) / 2.
  • Step 5: Check the value at the middle index.
  • Step 6: If the middle value is equal to the target, you have found an occurrence of the target.
  • Step 7: If the middle value is less than the target, move the left pointer to middle + 1.
  • Step 8: If the middle value is greater than the target, move the right pointer to middle - 1.
  • Step 9: Repeat steps 4 to 8 until the left pointer is greater than the right pointer.
  • Step 10: If you find the target, remember that there may be other occurrences in the array, but binary search does not specify which one you found.
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