search algorithm
Systematic lookup method
A search algorithm is a procedure for finding specific items or information within a data structure.
In computing, search algorithms locate files, database entries, or elements in lists—binary search, for example, repeatedly halves a sorted list to find a target quickly.
Search engines use complex algorithms to match queries against indexed web content.
The term also applies to any systematic method for finding something: The rescue team followed a grid search algorithm.
- divide and conquerOvercome by fragmenting opposition
- nearest neighborMost proximate data point
- hill climbingWalking up elevated terrain
- pruningCutting vegetation for health
- A starSelf-luminous celestial object
B-tree · binary tree · heuristic · backtracking · PageRank · pathfinding · lookup · sort · node · programming · software · probe · ranking · web crawler · hash · match · spider · index
search algorithmrandom walk
Chance-governed sequential movement
stumbling upon · chance encounter · random sampling · trial and error · browsing
search algorithmrandom number generator
Produces unpredictable numerical outputs