Which of the following search algorithims is represented by the pseudocode
index=0
WHILE (index<number of items in the list)
{
IF (list[index]== target element)
{
return index
}
index=index+1
}
The search algorithm represented by the given pseudocode is Linear Search.
The given pseudocode represents the sequential search algorithm.
The pseudocode you provided represents the linear search algorithm. This algorithm works by iterating through each element in a list from start to end, comparing each element to the target element. If a match is found, the index of the matching element is returned. If the entire list is traversed without finding a match, the algorithm typically returns a value indicating that the target element is not present in the list.
To understand why this is the linear search algorithm, let's break down the pseudocode step by step:
1. Initialize the variable "index" to 0. This variable will keep track of the current position being checked in the list.
2. Start a while loop that continues until "index" reaches the number of items in the list. This loop ensures that each element in the list is checked.
3. Inside the while loop, an if statement is used to check if the element at the current index is equal to the target element being searched for.
4. If the condition in the if statement is true, meaning that a match is found, the algorithm returns the current index.
5. If no match is found, the algorithm increments the index by 1 to move to the next element in the list.
6. The loop continues until it either finds a match and returns the index or reaches the end of the list.
In summary, the pseudocode you provided represents the linear search algorithm, also known as the sequential search algorithm. It sequentially checks each element in the list until it finds a match or reaches the end of the list.