binary search algo

Question 1

disadvantage of binary search

Answer 1

requires array to be sorted

:. if data is constantly being generated / updated, its difficult to maintain a sorted array (context: social media)

Question 2

when use binary search?

Answer 2

• when array is sorted
• if t complexity is smaller :. more efficient (still a valid pt even if array size small)

Question 3

why use linear instead of binary search?

Answer 3

• when array size is small
• lower overhead (only counter var required compared to binary which req start mid end var)

Question 4

when is linear search faster than binary search?

Answer 4

• let n be the max n(iterations) made by binary search
• ans: if the element to be searched for is within the first n indexes of the array, linear search will be faster than binary search