How does searching work in a binary search tree?

How does searching work in a binary search tree?

In a binary search tree (BST), each node has at most two children. To search for a value, you start at the root and compare the value to the current node's value. If the value is less, you move to the left child; if it's greater, you move to the right child. This process continues until you find the value or reach a leaf node.

What happens if the value isn't found?

If the value isn't found, the search will eventually reach a leaf node (a node with no children). At this point, you can conclude that the value is not present in the tree.

Can you explain the time complexity of searching in a BST?

The average time complexity for searching in a balanced binary search tree is O(log n), where n is the number of nodes. However, in the worst case, if the tree is unbalanced (like a linked list), it can degrade to O(n).