Binary Search On Vector C: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

If you’re a programmer, you’ve probably heard of binary search – a popular algorithm used to search for a specific element in a sorted array. In this article, we’ll be discussing how to implement binary search on a vector in C, a commonly used programming language. Binary search is an efficient algorithm that can help you search large arrays in a fraction of time compared to linear search.

What is a Vector?

A vector in C is a dynamic array that can change its size during runtime. Vectors are used to store multiple elements of the same data type in contiguous memory locations. Unlike arrays, vectors can be resized and their size can be changed dynamically.

Implementing Binary Search on Vector C

To implement binary search on a vector in C, you need to follow these steps: 1. Sort the vector in ascending or descending order. 2. Determine the middle element of the vector. 3. Compare the middle element with the target element. 4. If the target element is smaller than the middle element, search in the left half of the vector. 5. If the target element is larger than the middle element, search in the right half of the vector. 6. Repeat steps 2-5 until the target element is found or the search ends.

Example Code

Here’s an example code that demonstrates how to perform binary search on a vector in C: “` #include #include #include int binarySearch(vector arr, int target) { int left = 0, right = arr.size() – 1; while (left <= right) { int mid = left + (right - left) / 2; if (arr[mid] == target) { return mid; } else if (arr[mid] < target) { left = mid + 1; } else { right = mid - 1; } } return -1; } int main() { vector arr = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}; int target = 7; int index = binarySearch(arr, target); printf(“Index of %d is %d”, target, index); return 0; } “`

Explanation of the Code

In the code above, we first declare a vector of integers and initialize it with some values. We then declare a target element that we want to search for in the vector. We call the binarySearch function and pass in the vector and the target element as arguments. The binarySearch function takes in a vector and a target element as arguments. It first initializes the left and right indices to the first and last indices of the vector, respectively. We then enter a while loop that runs until the left index is no longer less than or equal to the right index. We calculate the middle index of the vector and compare the middle element with the target element. If they’re equal, we return the index of the middle element. If the middle element is less than the target element, we search in the right half of the vector. If the middle element is greater than the target element, we search in the left half of the vector. If the target element is not found in the vector, we return -1.

Conclusion

Binary search is a powerful algorithm that can help you search large arrays efficiently. Implementing binary search on a vector in C is a straightforward process that can help you optimize your code. We hope this article has provided you with a comprehensive guide on implementing binary search on a vector in C.