What is the Difference Between Binary Search and Linear Search?

The main difference between binary search and linear search lies in their search techniques and time complexity. Here are the key differences between the two:

1. Search Technique:

• Linear search: Scans each element in the list sequentially, starting from the first element, until the target element is found or the end of the list is reached.
• Binary search: Divides the input array into two halves and compares the target element with the middle element of the list. If the target element is found, it returns the position; otherwise, it continues the search in either the left or right half of the list, based on the comparison result.

1. Time Complexity:

• Linear search: The time complexity of linear search is O(n), where n is the number of elements in the list.
• Binary search: The time complexity of binary search is O(log n), as it divides the input array in half at every step, reducing the search space by half.

1. Input Data Requirements:

• Linear search: Works on both sorted and unsorted arrays.
• Binary search: Requires the input data to be in sorted order.

In summary, binary search is generally faster than linear search due to its divide-and-conquer technique, which reduces the search space at each step. However, it requires the input data to be sorted, while linear search does not have this requirement and works on both sorted and unsorted arrays.

Comparative Table: Binary Search vs Linear Search

Here is a table comparing the differences between binary search and linear search:

Linear Search is a sequential search that checks each element in the list one by one until the target element is found or the end of the list is reached. It works on both sorted and unsorted arrays, but its efficiency depends on the input data.

Binary Search is a more efficient search algorithm that works on sorted arrays. It starts by finding the middle element of the array and comparing it to the target value. Based on the comparison, it decides whether to search the left or right half of the array, eventually narrowing down the search space until the target value is found or the search space becomes empty.