Binary Search

In computer science, binary search, also known as half-interval search, logarithmic search, or binary
chop, is a search algorithm that finds the position of a target value within a sorted array. Binary search
compares the target value to the middle element of the array.

In binary search array elements should be sorted or for example in an ascending order.

Like linear search array elements in binary search should also be unique.

4 8 10 15 18 21 24 27 29 33 34 37 39 40 41
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Key – the element that we are searching for inside the array.

In binary search we need 3 index variables.

low, high and mid.

In our example we have an Array which has a size of [15].

Variable low is the beginning of the index which here in our example is [0]

Variable high is the last index of out array list, in our example is [14]

Variable middle is low plus high divided by 2 or (m = l + h) / 2

Example 1:
Find key = 18

low high get mid mid Get new l and h New high and Low
0 14 m = (0 + 14 ) / 2 7 high = mid - 1 7–1=6
0 6 m = (0 + 6 ) / 2 3 low = mid + 1 3+1=4
4 6 m = (4 + 6 ) / 2 5 high = mid – 1 5–1=4
and 3+1=4
low = mid + 1
4 4 m = (4 + 4) / 2 4
Result key 18 = index 4

Example 2:

Find key = 34

low high get mid mid Get new l and h New high and Low
0 14 m = (0 + 14) / 2 7 low = mid + 1 7+1=8
8 14 m = (8 + 14) / 2 11 high = mid - 1 11 – 1
8 10 m = (8 + 14) / 2 9 low = mid + 1 9+1
10 10 m = (10+ 10) / 2 10
Result key 34 = index 10
Example 3: an unsuccessful search

Find key = 25

low high get mid mid Get new l and h New high and Low
0 14 m = (0 + 14) / 2 7 high = mid - 1 7-1=6
0 6 m = (0 + 6) / 2 3 low = mid + 1 3+1=4
4 6 m = (4 + 6) / 2 5 low = mid + 1 5+1=6
6 6 m = (6 + 6) / 2 6 low = mid + 1 6+1=7
and
high = mid - 1 6-1=6
Unsuccessful

Binary Search Algorithm

Pseudo Code
binarySearch(low, high, key){

middle = (low + high) / 2;

if key == A[middle]
return middle
else if key < A[middle]
high – 1;
else
low = middle + 1

}
Do it until the element is found in order
to do this we should use a loop like the
pseudo code below:

binarySearch(low, high, key){

while (low <= high) {

middle = (low + high) / 2;

if key == A[middle]
return middle
else if key < A[middle]
high – 1;
else
low = middle + 1
}
return -1;
}
Binary Search C++ Code
//BINARY SEARCH
#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

struct Array{
int A[10];
int size;
int length;
};

//function for binary Search

int binarySearch(struct Array *arr, int key){
int low, mid, high;
low = 0;
high = arr->length - 1; //10 - 1 = 0 -9

while(low <= high){

mid = (low + high)/2;

if( key == arr->A[mid]){
return mid;
}else if(key < arr->A[mid]){
high = mid - 1;
}else{
low = mid + 1;
}
}
return -1;
}

int main(){

struct Array array = {{2,3,9,16,18,21,28,32,35,41}, 10, 10};

cout<<"The Key is found on index : ";

cout<<binarySearch(&array, 28);
cout<<endl;

for(int i = 0; i < array.length ; i++){

cout<<array.A[i];
cout<<" | ";
}

getch();
return 0;
}