How does binary search work?

Binary search is an efficient searching algorithm used to locate an element in a sorted list or array. It follows a divide-and-conquer approach, continuously dividing the search space in half until the target element is found or the remaining space becomes empty. The algorithm begins by comparing the target element with the middle element of the list. If they are equal, the search is successful. If the target is smaller, the algorithm discards the second half of the list and repeats the process with the first half. Conversely, if the target is larger, the algorithm discards the first half and focuses on the second half. By eliminating half of the remaining items in each comparison, binary search dramatically reduces the number of steps needed to find the target element, making it highly efficient for large datasets.

This mind map was published on 9 December 2023 and has been viewed 99 times.