package Searches; import static java.lang.String.format; import java.util.Arrays; import java.util.Random; import java.util.stream.Stream; /** * A ternary search algorithm is a technique in computer science for finding the minimum or maximum * of a unimodal function The algorithm determines either that the minimum or maximum cannot be in * the first third of the domain or that it cannot be in the last third of the domain, then repeats * on the remaining third. * *

Worst-case performance Θ(log3(N)) Best-case performance O(1) Average performance Θ(log3(N)) * Worst-case space complexity O(1) * * @author Podshivalov Nikita (https://github.com/nikitap492) * @see SearchAlgorithm * @see IterativeBinarySearch */ public class TernarySearch implements SearchAlgorithm { /** * @param arr The **Sorted** array in which we will search the element. * @param value The value that we want to search for. * @return The index of the element if found. Else returns -1. */ @Override public > int find(T[] arr, T value) { return ternarySearch(arr, value, 0, arr.length - 1); } /** * @param arr The **Sorted** array in which we will search the element. * @param key The value that we want to search for. * @param start The starting index from which we will start Searching. * @param end The ending index till which we will Search. * @return Returns the index of the Element if found. Else returns -1. */ private > int ternarySearch(T[] arr, T key, int start, int end) { if (start > end) { return -1; } /* First boundary: add 1/3 of length to start */ int mid1 = start + (end - start) / 3; /* Second boundary: add 2/3 of length to start */ int mid2 = start + 2 * (end - start) / 3; if (key.compareTo(arr[mid1]) == 0) { return mid1; } else if (key.compareTo(arr[mid2]) == 0) { return mid2; } /* Search the first (1/3) rd part of the array.*/ else if (key.compareTo(arr[mid1]) < 0) { return ternarySearch(arr, key, start, --mid1); } /* Search 3rd (1/3)rd part of the array */ else if (key.compareTo(arr[mid2]) > 0) { return ternarySearch(arr, key, ++mid2, end); } /* Search middle (1/3)rd part of the array */ else { return ternarySearch(arr, key, mid1, mid2); } } public static void main(String[] args) { // just generate data Random r = new Random(); int size = 100; int maxElement = 100000; Integer[] integers = Stream.generate(() -> r.nextInt(maxElement)).limit(size).sorted().toArray(Integer[]::new); // the element that should be found Integer shouldBeFound = integers[r.nextInt(size - 1)]; TernarySearch search = new TernarySearch(); int atIndex = search.find(integers, shouldBeFound); System.out.println( format( "Should be found: %d. Found %d at index %d. An array length %d", shouldBeFound, integers[atIndex], atIndex, size)); int toCheck = Arrays.binarySearch(integers, shouldBeFound); System.out.println( format( "Found by system method at an index: %d. Is equal: %b", toCheck, toCheck == atIndex)); } }