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Binary Search: Halving The Problem

Learn how repeatedly cutting possibilities in half finds answers incredibly fast

Part of Search & Sort Algorithms

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Last updated Oct 29, 2025. Clone to remix or explore the blocks below.
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content

The Math That Makes Search Instant

Educational content slides

The Math That Makes Search Instant

Searching 100 items:

  • Linear search: Check up to 100 items
  • Binary search: Check maximum 7 items

Searching 1,000,000 items:

  • Linear search: Check up to 1,000,000 items
  • Binary search: Check maximum 20 items

Every step eliminates half the remaining data. That's why your phone finds contacts instantly even with thousands of names.

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quiz

Quiz: 3 Questions

Test your understanding with this quiz.

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You're debugging code with 512 lines. You know the bug is somewhere in there. Using binary search strategy (test middle, then narrow down), how many times do you need to test sections?

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The Halving Strategy in Real Life

Complete this exercise and get AI-powered feedback.

The Halving Strategy in Real Life

Binary search thinking appears everywhere - debugging, finding pages, adjusting settings, even playing guessing games.

Example: You're finding the right font size for a poster. Start at 72pt (too big), try 36pt (too small), try 54pt (close!), try 63pt (perfect). Four tries instead of testing 72, 71, 70, 69...