Searching and sorting algorithms

List view

An analyzer has sorted a list of ten chemical elements alphabetically, as shown in the table below.

Index	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Element	Argon	Beryllium	Carbon	Fluorine	Helium	Lithium	Neon	Oxygen	Sodium	Xenon

Demonstrate the steps of a binary search algorithm to locate the element Neon in this list. At each stage, you must clearly state:

the current lower bound $L\,$ and upper bound $R$ ,
the calculation used to determine the midpoint index (using the floor division rule $⌊L+R2⌋\displaystyle \lfloor \frac{L + R}{2} \rfloor$ ),
the pivot element selected,
and the comparison that leads to the next interval.

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Searching and sorting algorithms Questions

Practise OCR GCSE Computer Science Searching and sorting algorithms with exam-style questions for GCSE Computer Science. 36 questions, matched to the OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277) specification and written in Component 01 and Component 02 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.