Which description best captures Binary Search?

Which description best captures Binary Search?

• A. A recursive search through identifying a middle element until that element matches what is being searched.
• B. A linear scan from start to end.
• C. A search that compares every element to the target.
• D. A hashing-based lookup.

Answer: (A)

Binary search narrows the search area by looking at the middle item of the current range and comparing it with the target. If the middle element matches, you’re done. If the target is smaller, you discard the right half and continue with the left half; if larger, you discard the left half and continue with the right half. Because you halve the remaining items each step, you reach the result in logarithmic time on sorted data. This method relies on the data being ordered so that you know which half could contain the target. That pattern specifically captures the idea of repeatedly selecting a middle element and recursing or looping until you find the value. The other descriptions describe scanning elements one by one or using a hash-based lookup, which don’t leverage the middle element or halve the search space.

Binary search narrows the search area by looking at the middle item of the current range and comparing it with the target. If the middle element matches, you’re done. If the target is smaller, you discard the right half and continue with the left half; if larger, you discard the left half and continue with the right half. Because you halve the remaining items each step, you reach the result in logarithmic time on sorted data. This method relies on the data being ordered so that you know which half could contain the target.

That pattern specifically captures the idea of repeatedly selecting a middle element and recursing or looping until you find the value. The other descriptions describe scanning elements one by one or using a hash-based lookup, which don’t leverage the middle element or halve the search space.