What is the difference between Fibonacci search and linear search?

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What is the difference between Fibonacci search and linear search?

The main difference between Fibonacci search and linear search lies in their approach and efficiency.

1. Approach:
- Fibonacci search is a divide and conquer algorithm that uses Fibonacci numbers to divide the search space into smaller subarrays.
- Linear search, on the other hand, is a simple sequential search algorithm that checks each element in the array one by one until the desired element is found or the end of the array is reached.

2. Efficiency:
- Fibonacci search has a time complexity of O(log n), making it more efficient than linear search.
- Linear search has a time complexity of O(n), where n is the number of elements in the array. This means that linear search takes longer to search through larger arrays compared to Fibonacci search.

3. Usage:
- Fibonacci search is typically used for searching elements in sorted arrays, where the elements are uniformly distributed.
- Linear search can be used for searching elements in both sorted and unsorted arrays, but it is more suitable for smaller arrays or when the position of the desired element is closer to the beginning of the array.

In summary, Fibonacci search is a more efficient algorithm for searching in sorted arrays with uniformly distributed elements, while linear search is a simpler algorithm that can be used for searching in both sorted and unsorted arrays, but is less efficient for larger arrays.