Data Structures the Fun Way

2 Binary Search

Binary search is an algorithm for efficiently searching a sorted list. It checks the sorted list for a target value by repeatedly dividing the list in half, determining which of the two halves could contain the target value, and discarding the other half. This algorithm’s simplicity of logic and implementation make it a perfect introductory topic for computer science, so binary search algorithms are nearly universal throughout computer science courses and textbooks.

The skeptical reader might wonder, “How often will I really need to search a sorted list?” or, more accurately, “How often will I need to implement a function ...