What is interpolation search in C++?

Can you explain what interpolation search is in C++?

Interpolation search is an improved variant of binary search that works on sorted arrays. It estimates the position of the target value based on the values at the endpoints.

How does it differ from binary search?

While binary search divides the array in half, interpolation search uses the value of the target to determine where to search next, making it faster for uniformly distributed data.

Can you provide a simple C++ code example?

Sure! Here's a basic example:

int interpolationSearch(int arr[], int n, int x) {
    int low = 0, high = n - 1;
    while (low <= high && x >= arr[low] && x <= arr[high]) {
        int pos = low + ((double)(high - low) / (arr[high] - arr[low]) * (x - arr[low]));
        if (arr[pos] == x) return pos;
        if (arr[pos] < x) low = pos + 1;
        else high = pos - 1;
    }
    return -1; // Element not found
}

What is the time complexity of interpolation search?

The average time complexity of interpolation search is O(log log n), but in the worst case, it can degrade to O(n) if the data is not uniformly distributed.