1. Linear search is a simple searching algorithm.
2. In this search, a sequential search is done over all items one by one from the starting to the ending of the array.
3. Every item is checked and if a match is found then that particular item is selected and the index is returned, otherwise the search continues till the end of the data collection.

Example:

     0                   1                   2                    3                    4                  5                    6                    7

Search for an item= 48

• Searching will start from starting position of array i.e, 14 and keep searching for the element 48 till it is not found.
• Element 48 is present in the index no.= 4

Algorithm:

Linear Search ( Array A, Value x)

Step 1: Set i to 1

Step 2: if i > n then go to step 7

Step 3: if A[i] = x then go to step 6

Step 4: Set i to i + 1

Step 5: Go to Step 2

Step 6: Print Element x Found at index i and go to step 8

Step 7: Print element not found

Step 8: Exit

Note:

• Linear search is also known as “Sequential search”.
• If in a array n-elements are present then the worst case time complexity can be n-times due to sequential search and we can also achieve best case time complexity if the finding element is present at the beginning.

Application:

• Linear search is usually very simple to implement, and is practical when the list has only a few elements, or when performing a single search in an unordered list.

Drawbacks:

• We know Linear search is very easy due to it’s so dam simple technique to implement, but it is not used practically because binary search is a lot faster than linear search.

Real life example:

finding a book in library