Question

How many minimum number of comparisons are required to search an element from 'n' elements in Linear Search?

• A. 1
• B. n - 1
• C. n
• D. n + 1

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The minimum number of comparisons required to search an element from 'n' elements using Linear Search is 1.

Additional Context:

• Best Case Scenario:
  • Target element is the first item in the list
  • Only 1 comparison needed
  • Time complexity: O(1)
• Other Cases:
  • Worst case: n comparisons (last element or not present)
  • Average case: (n+1)/2 comparisons
• Comparison with Binary Search:
  • Linear search doesn't require sorted data
  • More efficient than binary for small datasets
• Practical Example:
  • Searching for "A" in ["A","B","C"] → 1 comparison

Correct Answer: (1) 1.