What is the result of performing binary search on a sorted array for an element

Practice Questions

Q1
What is the result of performing binary search on a sorted array for an element not present in the array?
  1. The index of the closest element
  2. The index of the first element
  3. The index of the last element
  4. An indication that the element is not found

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What is the result of performing binary search on a sorted array for an element not present in the array?
  • Step 1: Start with a sorted array and the element 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 by using the formula: middle = (left + right) / 2.
  • Step 4: Check if the middle element is equal to the element you are searching for.
  • Step 5: If the middle element is equal to the target, return the index of the middle element.
  • Step 6: If the middle element is less than the target, move the left pointer to middle + 1.
  • Step 7: If the middle element is greater than the target, move the right 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 element is not in the array.
  • Step 10: Return a sentinel value (like -1) to indicate that the element was not found.
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