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Binary Search Lecture

The document provides an analysis of the binary search algorithm, detailing its problem description, implementation, and correctness. It includes examples of input and expected output, as well as the function definitions for searching an element in a sorted list. The document also hints at a running time analysis for the binary search method.

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lakshmi punugula
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10 views11 pages

Binary Search Lecture

The document provides an analysis of the binary search algorithm, detailing its problem description, implementation, and correctness. It includes examples of input and expected output, as well as the function definitions for searching an element in a sorted list. The document also hints at a running time analysis for the binary search method.

Uploaded by

lakshmi punugula
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Analysis of Algorithms Part 1:

Binary Search
Sriram Sankaranarayanan
Binary Search : Problem Description
Problem: Does the given element belong to the sorted list of numbers?

Input:
sorted list of numbers: [1, 6, 7, 19, 22, 25, 31, 55]
element: 18
Expected Answer:
False (element is not in the list).

Input:
sorted list of numbers: [1, 6, 7, 14, 17, 21, 25]
element: 6
Expected Answer:
True, Index : 1
Binary Search: Basic Idea
Search for element: 6
[1, 6, 7, 14, 17, 21, 25]
Binary Search: Basic Idea # 2
Search for element: 18
[1, 6, 7, 14, 17, 21, 25]
Binary Search Implementation

def binarySearchHelper( lst, elt, left, right)


# Requirements:
# 0 <= left <= right < size(lst)
# Invariant:
# If elt is found in lst, it must be found in the
# sub-list [ lst[left],…,lst[right] ]
Binary Search Implementation
def binarySearchHelper( lst, elt, left, right)
# Requirements:
# 0 <= left <= right < size(lst)
# Invariant:
# If elt is found in lst, it must be found in the
# sub-list [ lst[left],…,lst[right] ]
if (left > right):
return None # Search region is empty -- let us bail.
else:
mid = (left + right)//2 # Note that // is integer division
if lst[mid] == elt:
return mid # BINGO -- we found it. Return its index and that we found it
elif lst[mid] < elt:
return binarySearchHelper(lst, elt, mid+1, right)
else: # lst[mid] > elt
return binarySearchHelper(lst, elt, left, mid-1)
Binary Search

def binarySearch(lst, elt)


binarySearchHelper(lst, elt, 0, size(lst) – 1)
Correctness of Binary Search
binarySearchHelper(lst, elt, left, right) has
the following behavior for lst sorted in
ascending order:
• If elt belongs to the sub-list
lst[left]…list[right], it returns the index of elt
in lst.
• If elt does not belong to the sub-list, it returns
the special value None.
How to prove correctness?
Running Time Analysis of Binary Search
Running Time Analysis of Binary Search (Cont)

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