package search; import java.util.Arrays; import java.util.Random; import java.util.stream.Stream; import static java.lang.String.format; /** * * A iterative version of a ternary search algorithm * This is better way to implement the ternary search, because a recursive version adds some overhead to a stack. * But in java the compile can transform the recursive version to iterative implicitly, * so there are no much differences between these two algorithms * * 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) * @since 2018-04-13 * * @see SearchAlgorithm * @see TernarySearch * */ public class IterativeTernarySearch implements SearchAlgorithm { @Override public > int find(T[] array, T key) { int left = 0; int right = array.length - 1; while (true) { int leftCmp = array[left].compareTo(key); int rightCmp = array[right].compareTo(key); if (leftCmp == 0) return left; if (rightCmp == 0) return right; int leftThird = left + (right - left) / 3; int rightThird = right - (right - left) /3; if (array[leftThird].compareTo(key) <= 0) left = leftThird; else right = rightThird; } } 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)]; IterativeTernarySearch search = new IterativeTernarySearch(); 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)); } }