B2.4.2 · Searching

Linear search

Python · step by step

Example

Check values in order; stop at the first match.

Select Play or Next line to follow Python execution.

The highlight marks the next line to execute. Values show the state before that line.

1def linear_search(items, target):2    for index in range(len(items)):3        if items[index] == target:4            return index5    return -1

Speed

Execution progress

The first item is the best case, O(1). The last item or an absent target takes O(n) time. This implementation uses O(1) auxiliary space.

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