Linear Search

Linear search (also called sequential search) is the simplest searching algorithm. It works by checking each item in a list, one by one, from the beginning to the end, until the desired item is found or the entire list has been searched.

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How Linear Search Works

The algorithm follows these steps:

1. Start at the first element of the list.
2. Compare the current element with the target value (the item you are looking for).
3. If the current element matches the target, return its position — the search is complete.
4. If it does not match, move to the next element.
5. Repeat steps 2–4 until either the target is found or you have checked every element.
6. If the end of the list is reached without finding the target, report that the item is not found.

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Pseudocode for Linear Search

FUNCTION linearSearch(list, target)
    FOR i = 0 TO LENGTH(list) - 1
        IF list[i] = target THEN
            RETURN i
        ENDIF
    NEXT i
    RETURN -1
ENDFUNCTION

The function returns the index (position) of the target if found, or -1 if the target is not in the list.

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Worked Example