Introduction to Searching and Sorting Algorithms #

Welcome back to our programming tutorial series! Today, we’re exploring two fundamental concepts in computer science: searching and sorting algorithms. These algorithms are crucial for organizing and retrieving data efficiently, and you’ll encounter them in various real-world applications.

What Are Searching Algorithms? #

Searching algorithms are designed to retrieve specific elements from a collection of data. The most common searching algorithms include linear search and binary search.

Linear search is the simplest searching algorithm. It works by checking each element in a list one by one until the desired value is found or the list ends.

Example: #

def linear_search(arr, target):
    for i in range(len(arr)):
        if arr[i] == target:
            return i  # Returns the index of the target
    return -1  # If the target is not found

numbers = [10, 23, 45, 70, 11, 15]
print(linear_search(numbers, 70))  # Outputs: 3
print(linear_search(numbers, 100))  # Outputs: -1