If an array has 16 elements, how many comparisons will binary search make in the
Practice Questions
Q1
If an array has 16 elements, how many comparisons will binary search make in the worst case?
4
5
16
8
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If an array has 16 elements, how many comparisons will binary search make in the worst case?
Step 1: Understand that binary search is a method used to find an element in a sorted array.
Step 2: Know that binary search works by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
Step 3: Recognize that the number of comparisons made by binary search can be calculated using logarithms.
Step 4: The formula to find the maximum number of comparisons in binary search is log2(n), where n is the number of elements in the array.
Step 5: In this case, n is 16, so we need to calculate log2(16).
Step 6: Calculate log2(16). Since 16 is 2 raised to the power of 4 (2^4 = 16), log2(16) equals 4.
Step 7: Conclude that in the worst case, binary search will make at most 4 comparisons.
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.
Logarithmic Complexity – The time complexity of binary search is O(log n), which indicates that the number of comparisons grows logarithmically with the number of elements.