Searching

Sequential search, Serial search, Exhaustive search

Linear search is also known as sequential search (elements checked in sequence), serial search (one after another), and exhaustive search (all elements may be checked).

(first + last) // 2

The middle position is calculated using floor division (//), which gives an integer result. This ensures we get a valid index position in the list.

Search in the first half

If the key is smaller than the middle element, it can only be found in the first half of the sorted list (if present). We ignore the second half and continue searching in the first half.

Hashing

Hashing can locate a key in just one step using a hash function to calculate the index directly. The time required is constant and independent of the list size.