#algorithm #array #boolean
This script is an implementation of the binary search algorithm.
A binary search algorithm is a search technique that finds the position of a target value within a sorted array.
It works by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half until the target is found.
The binary search pattern is commonly used to optimize search performance.
The binarySearch method takes in an array, a value to search for, a start index, and an end index.
If no end index is provided, it will default to the last index of the array.
The binarySearch method recursively splits the array in half, checks if the middle element matches the search value, and then repeats the process on either the left or right half depending on if the search value is less than or greater than the middle element.
This divides the search space in half each iteration, allowing it to very quickly narrow in on the search value if it exists in the array.
The method returns true if the value is found, false when it's not.
It starts by checking if the start index has surpassed the end index, in which case false is returned since the value was not found.
Then it calculates the middle index, checks if the middle element matches the search value, and returns true if so.
If not, it recursively calls itself, passing either the left or right half of the array to repeat the search on.
This recursion continues until the value is found or the search space is exhausted, at which point false is returned.
Overall this allows efficient searching in O(log n) time complexity for sorted arrays.