Searching

Ternary search cuts the window into thirds with two probes each round, keeping only the third that could hold the target. It reaches the answer in fewer rounds than binary search, though it spends more comparisons doing it. Watch it run step by step.

Exponential search doubles a bound until it passes the target, brackets it inside that range, then binary searches the range. It finds nearby targets in time that depends on their position, not the list length. Watch it run step by step.

Interpolation search is binary search that reads the values, guessing where the target should sit instead of always probing the middle. On evenly spread data it can find a value in about log log n steps. Watch it run step by step.

Jump search leaps through a sorted array in blocks of about the square root of its length, then scans the one block that could hold the target. It sits between linear and binary search. Watch it run step by step.

Binary search is the payoff for keeping an array sorted. Halve the window each probe and even a million items fall in about twenty comparisons. Watch it run step by step.

Linear search just walks the list from the front and checks every value until it finds the one you want. It is the baseline every faster search is measured against. Watch it run step by step.