Linear Search

Sequential search technique for finding a target element within a list.

What is Linear Search?

Linear search (also known as sequential search) is the simplest searching algorithm. It starts at the beginning of a dataset and inspects each element one by one until either a match is found or the end of the array is reached.

Advantages

Works on unsorted arrays and datasets.
No additional memory allocation required (O(1)).
Simple implementation and low overhead for tiny datasets.

Limitations

In-efficient on large datasets compared to O(log N) binary search.
Worst-case scenario requires inspecting every item in memory (O(N) time).
High average response latency for deep elements.

Algorithm Steps

// Pseudocode Representation
function linearSearch(arr, target):
    for i from 0 to length(arr) - 1:
        if arr[i] == target:
            return i // Match found

    return -1 // Target not in list