What happens if the array is not sorted before performing a binary search?

Practice Questions

Q1
What happens if the array is not sorted before performing a binary search?
  1. It will still work
  2. It will give incorrect results
  3. It will throw an error
  4. It will sort the array first

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What happens if the array is not sorted before performing a binary search?
  • Step 1: Understand what binary search is. It is a method to find an item in a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
  • Step 2: Know that binary search assumes the array is sorted. This means the elements are in a specific order (like smallest to largest).
  • Step 3: If the array is not sorted, the positions of the elements are mixed up. This means the binary search will not work correctly.
  • Step 4: When binary search checks the middle element, it may not be the correct one because the order is wrong.
  • Step 5: As a result, binary search may skip over the target element or give a wrong answer, leading to incorrect results.
No concepts available.
Soulshift Feedback ×

On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend The Soulshift Academy?

Not likely Very likely