Searching Algorithms Questions Long
Exponential interpolation search is a searching algorithm that is an improvement over the traditional interpolation search algorithm. It is used to search for a specific element in a sorted array by estimating its position based on the values at the boundaries of the array.
The concept of exponential interpolation search involves using exponential increments to estimate the position of the target element. It starts by comparing the target element with the element at the first position of the array. If they match, the search is successful. If the target element is greater than the first element, the algorithm doubles the position and checks the element at that position. This process continues until an element greater than the target element is found or the end of the array is reached.
Once an element greater than the target element is found, the algorithm performs a binary search between the previous position and the current position to narrow down the search range. This binary search is similar to the traditional binary search algorithm, where the middle element is compared with the target element and the search range is halved accordingly. This process continues until the target element is found or the search range becomes empty.
The exponential interpolation search algorithm has a time complexity of O(log(log(n))), where n is the size of the array. This makes it more efficient than traditional interpolation search, which has a time complexity of O(log(n)). However, it is important to note that exponential interpolation search requires a sorted array and may not be suitable for unsorted or dynamically changing arrays.
In conclusion, exponential interpolation search is a searching algorithm that estimates the position of a target element using exponential increments. It combines the concepts of interpolation search and binary search to efficiently search for an element in a sorted array.