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Python Data Structures and Algorithms

You're reading from   Python Data Structures and Algorithms Improve application performance with graphs, stacks, and queues

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Product type Paperback
Published in May 2017
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781786467355
Length 310 pages
Edition 1st Edition
Languages
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Author (1):
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Benjamin Baka Benjamin Baka
Author Profile Icon Benjamin Baka
Benjamin Baka
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Table of Contents (14) Chapters Close

Preface 1. Python Objects, Types, and Expressions 2. Python Data Types and Structures FREE CHAPTER 3. Principles of Algorithm Design 4. Lists and Pointer Structures 5. Stacks and Queues 6. Trees 7. Hashing and Symbol Tables 8. Graphs and Other Algorithms 9. Searching 10. Sorting 11. Selection Algorithms 12. Design Techniques and Strategies 13. Implementations, Applications, and Tools

Interpolation search

There is another variant of the binary search algorithm that may closely be said to mimic more, how humans perform search on any list of items. It is still based off trying to make a good guess of where in a sorted list of items, a search item is likely to be found.

Examine the following list of items for example:

To find 120, we know to look at the right hand portion of the list. Our initial treatment of binary search would typically examine the middle element first in order to determine if it matches the search term.

A more human thing would be to pick a middle element in a such a way as to not only split the array in half but to get as close as possible to the search term. The middle position was calculated for using the following rule:

mid_point = (index_of_first_element + index_of_last_element)/2 

We shall replace this formula with a better one that...

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