We have said that the average number of comparisons need to find a target value in an n-element list using sequential search is slightly higher than n/2. In this problem, we find an exact expression for this average.

a. Suppose the list has an odd number of items, say 15. At what position is the middle item? Using sequential search, how many comparisons are required to find the middle item? Repeat this exercise with a few more odd numbers until you can do the following: If there are n items in the list and n is an odd number, write an expression for the number of comparisons required to find the middle item.
b. Suppose the list has an even number of items, say 16. At what position are the two "middle" items? Using sequential search, how many comparisons are required to find each of these? What are the average of these two numbers? Repeat this exercise with a few more even numbers until you can do the following: If there are n items in the list and n is an even number, write an expression for the number of comparisons required to find the two middle items.
c. Noting that half the items in a list fall before the midpoint and half after the midpoint, use your answer to parts a and b to write an exact expression for the average number of comparisons done using sequential search to find a target value that occurs in an n-element list.

Part a: If the list contains n elements (where n is odd) the middle term is at index (n-1)/2 and the number of comparisons are (n+1)/2.

Part b: If the list contains n elements (where n is even) the middle terms are  at index (n-2)/2 & n/2 and the number of comparisons are (n+2)/2.

Part c: The average number of comparisons for a list bearing n elements is 2n+3/4 comparisons.

Explanation:

Suppose the list is such that the starting index is 0.

Part a

If list has 15 elements, the middle item would be given at 7th index i.e.

there are 7 indices(0,1,2,3,4,5,6) below it and 7 indices(8,9,10,11,12,13,14) above it. It will have to run 8 comparisons  to find the middle term.

If list has 17 elements, the middle item would be given at 8th index i.e.

there are 8 indices(0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7) below it and 8 indices(9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16) above it.It will have to run 9 comparisons  to find the middle term.

If list has 21 elements, the middle item would be given at 10th index i.e.

there are 10 indices (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) below it and 10 indices (11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20) above it.It will have to run 11 comparisons  to find the middle term.

Now this indicates that if the list contains n elements (where n is odd) the middle term is at index (n-1)/2 and the number of comparisons are (n+1)/2.

Part b

If list has 16 elements, there are two middle terms as  one at would be at 7th index and the one at 8th index .There are 7 indices(0,1,2,3,4,5,6) below it and 7 indices(9,10,11,12,13,14,15) above it. It will have to run 9 comparisons  to find the middle terms.

If list has 18 elements, there are two middle terms as  one at would be at 8th index and the one at 9th index .There are 8 indices(0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7) below it and 8 indices(10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17) above it. It will have to run 10 comparisons  to find the middle terms.

If list has 20 elements, there are two middle terms as  one at would be at 9th index and the one at 10th index .There are 9 indices(0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) below it and 9 indices(11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19) above it. It will have to run 11 comparisons  to find the middle terms.

Now this indicates that if the list contains n elements (where n is even) the middle terms are  at index (n-2)/2 & n/2 and the number of comparisons are (n+2)/2.

Part c

So the average number of comparisons is given as

((n+1)/2+(n+2)/2)/2=(2n+3)/4

So the average number of comparisons for a list bearing n elements is 2n+3/4 comparisons.