Search Algorithm

Definitions

1. A procedure for locating a specific item or set of items within a data structure, ranging from simple linear scan (O(n)) and binary search (O(log n)) to graph-based approaches like BFS, DFS, and A* for navigating complex search spaces.

   In plain English: A step-by-step method for finding a specific piece of data among many, like looking up a word in a dictionary versus reading every page.

   Example: "Binary search only works on sorted data — if the array is unsorted, you're stuck with a linear search algorithm."

Related Terms

• Knuth
• LIFO
• Linked List
• Pair
• Pseudo Code
• Range
• Tree
• Tuple
• Balanced Tree
• Binary Search Tree
• Bit Manipulation
• BST
• Bucket Sort
• Compare
• Custom Iterator