1.1 Defining the Search Algorithm

The act of searching is a foundational pillar of computation. At its core, a search algorithm is a well-defined, step-by-step procedure designed to retrieve specific information from a data structure or calculate it within an abstract search space. Think of it as a "digital detective" methodically sifting through data to find a target, often called a key. The choice of algorithm is fundamentally dictated by the underlying data structure—such as an array, tree, or graph—and any pre-existing knowledge about the data, most notably whether it is sorted.

The concept of a "search space" elevates this beyond simple data retrieval. While you can search for a record in a database, you can also search for a solution in a virtual space, like finding the winning move in a chess game or the optimal route for a delivery truck. This reframes searching from a data management task int

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