Understanding and Implementing Linear Search in C using Array

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Understanding and Implementing Linear Search in C using Array. Linear search, also known as sequential search, is a straightforward method to find a specific element in a collection of data. In this article, we will explore the concept of linear search and guide you through the process of implementing a linear search program in the C programming language using arrays.

Linear Search Overview

Linear search involves scanning a list or an array sequentially until the desired element is found. It is a simple and intuitive approach, but its time complexity is O(n), where n is the number of elements in the array. This means that the time taken to search for an element grows linearly with the size of the array

Linear Search Implementation in C using Array

Let’s walk through the step-by-step process of creating a C program that performs linear search on an array

#include <stdio.h>

// Function to perform linear search
int linearSearch(int arr[], int n, int key) {
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        if (arr[i] == key) {
            return i;  // Return the index if the key is found
        }
    }
    return -1;  // Return -1 if the key is not found
}

void main() {
    int arr[] = {10, 5, 8, 3, 7, 2, 1};
    int n = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]);

    int key = 7;
    int result = linearSearch(arr, n, key);

    if (result != -1) {
        printf("Element %d found at index %d\n", key, result);
    } else {
        printf("Element %d not found in the array\n", key);
    }

}

Output

Linear Search in C using Array

How the Above C Program Works

  1. The linearSearch the function takes an array, the number of elements n, and the key to be searched. It iterates through the array using a loop and returns the index if the key is found or -1 if it is not.
  2. In the main function, we declare an array arr and calculate its size n using the sizeof operator.
  3. In this case, we choose a key to search for 7 and call the linearSearch function. The result is stored in the result variable.
  4. Finally, we check the result. If the index is not -1, we print the element’s index; otherwise, we indicate that the element was not found.

See Also

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