What is the effect of using binary search on a linked list?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of using binary search on a linked list?
Faster than array
Slower than array
Same as array
Not applicable
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of using binary search on a linked list?
Step 1: Understand what binary search is. It is a method to find an item in a sorted list by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
Step 2: Know that binary search requires random access to elements, meaning you can quickly jump to the middle of the list.
Step 3: Recognize that a linked list stores elements in nodes, where each node points to the next one, making it non-contiguous in memory.
Step 4: Realize that because of this non-contiguous structure, you cannot directly access the middle element of a linked list quickly like you can with an array.
Step 5: Conclude that since binary search relies on quick access to elements, it cannot be effectively used on a linked list.
