Linear and binary search visualiser
Type a list and a value to find, then pick linear or binary search. Press Play to see which cell is checked next, how binary search throws away half the list each time, and how many comparisons each search needs.
How to use it
- 1Pick linear or binary search, type a list (in ascending order for binary search) and the value to find.
- 2Press Show me, then Play. The cell being checked is marked, and for binary search low, mid and high move.
- 3Read how many comparisons it took, and follow the Java line that is running.
The animation needs JavaScript. Every step is written out below.
Result
- Result
- not found, 5 comparisons
Every step in words (7 steps)
- Looking for 6. pos = -1 means 'not found yet'.
- Is a[0] == key? 9 == 6 is false.
- Is a[1] == key? 3 == 6 is false.
- Is a[2] == key? 7 == 6 is false.
- Is a[3] == key? 4 == 6 is false.
- Is a[4] == key? 1 == 6 is false.
- The loop ended without a match, so 6 is not in the list. pos stays -1 (5 comparisons).
About the Linear and binary search visualiser
What it does
Looks for a value in your list with a linear or a binary search and shows each comparison. For binary search it shows low, mid and high, and greys out the half of the list that has been thrown away. The result says whether the value was found, at which position, and how many comparisons were needed.
Linear and binary search
- Linear search: checks the cells one after another from the start. It works on any list.
- Binary search: needs the list in ascending order. It checks the middle cell and throws away the half that cannot contain the value, so a list of 15 values needs at most 4 comparisons.
Positions start from 0
The cells are numbered from 0, as Java array indexes are, so the first value is at position 0.
Common questions
Why does binary search need a sorted list?
Because each step decides which half to keep by asking whether the value in the middle is smaller or bigger than the one you want. That only tells you where to look if the list is in order.
How many comparisons does binary search need?
At most ⌊log2 n⌋ + 1: 3 for 4 to 7 values and 4 for 8 to 15 values, compared with up to n for a linear search.
What does the search return when the value is not there?
Both searches report -1 (or ‘not found’): a linear search after checking every cell, a binary search when low becomes greater than high.
Can I see the code in Python, JavaScript or C++?
Yes. Choose the language in the menu above the code. Only the listing changes: the steps are always worked out from the Java program that ISC uses, and the highlighted line moves to the matching line of the language you chose.
Practise on real ISC questions
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