Linear Search Algorithm


Linear search (also known as sequential search) is a method for finding an element within a list. It sequentially checks each element of the list until a match is found or the whole list has been searched.

Pseudocode

procedure linear_search(array : list of items to search, n : length of list, search_key : key to search for)
    i ← 0
    while i < n
        if search_key == array[i]
            return i
        end if
        i ← i + 1
    end while
    
    return -1
end procedure

Complexity

Time Complexity: O(n)