Binary search is a search algorithm used to find an element in a sorted array. It is a very efficient algorithm with a time complexity of O(log n). In this blog post, we will discuss binary search, its implementation in C#, and how it works.

What is Binary Search?

Binary search is an algorithm that searches for a specific element in a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half. The idea of binary search is to start by comparing the middle element of the array with the target element to be searched. If the target element matches the middle element, then the search is successful. If the target element is greater than the middle element, then the search continues in the right half of the array. If the target element is less than the middle element, then the search continues in the left half of the array. This process is repeated until the target element is found or until the search interval is empty.

Here’s an implementation of binary search in C#:

static int BinarySearch(int[] arr, int target)
{
    int left = 0;
    int right = arr.Length - 1;
    while (left <= right)
    {
        int mid = (left + right) / 2;
        if (arr[mid] == target)
            return mid;
        else if (arr[mid] < target)
            left = mid + 1;
        else
            right = mid - 1;
    }
    return -1;
}

Its implementation in C# is straightforward and efficient. The .NET Framework provides you with an implementation out of the box (see here); so, there is no need to actually implement it in your code.