Linear Search

Linear Search is a simple searching algorithm that sequentially checks each element in a collection until the desired element is found or the entire collection has been searched.

How Linear Search Works

1. Starting at First Element:

   • Begin searching from the first element of the collection.

2. Sequential Checking:

   • Check each element one by one until a match is found.

3. Completion:

   • Stop searching if the element is found or if the end of the collection is reached.

Key Features

• Simple and Intuitive: Linear Search is easy to implement and understand.

Efficiency

• Time Complexity: O(n) where n is the number of elements in the collection.
• Space Complexity: O(1) as it doesn't require additional memory.

Advantages

• Easy to implement and understand.
• Works well for small collections.

Disadvantages

• Inefficient for large collections.
• Takes linear time for search in worst-case scenarios.

Linear Search Implementation in JavaScript

Here's an example of Linear Search implemented in JavaScript:

function linearSearch(arr, target) {
    for (let i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
        if (arr[i] === target) {
            return i; // Found at index i
        }
    }
    return -1; // Not found
}
 
// Example usage
const array = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50];
const target = 30;
const index = linearSearch(array, target);
console.log("Index of", target, ":", index);