How does binary search determine the middle index of an array?
Practice Questions
Q1
How does binary search determine the middle index of an array?
(low + high) / 2
low + high
low * high
high - low
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
How does binary search determine the middle index of an array?
Step 1: Start with an array that is sorted.
Step 2: Define two pointers: 'low' at the start of the array and 'high' at the end of the array.
Step 3: Calculate the middle index using the formula (low + high) / 2.
Step 4: Check the value at the middle index to see if it matches the target value.
Step 5: If the target value is less than the middle value, move the 'high' pointer to the middle index - 1.
Step 6: If the target value is greater than the middle value, move the 'low' pointer to the middle index + 1.
Step 7: Repeat steps 3 to 6 until the target value is found or the 'low' pointer exceeds the 'high' pointer.
Binary Search Algorithm – A search algorithm that finds the position of a target value within a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
Index Calculation – The method of calculating the middle index of an array segment using the formula (low + high) / 2.
