what is linear search in data structures? give me the content for 5 marks

Linear search, also known as sequential search, is a method for finding a particular value in a list. It checks each element of the list sequentially until a match is found or the whole list has been searched.

Here are the steps involved in a linear search:

1. Start from the first element of the list.
2. Compare the current element with the target value.
3. If the current element matches the target value, stop the search and return the current position as the result.
4. If the current element does not match the target value, move on to the next element.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until the target value is found or all elements have been checked.

Linear search is a simple and straightforward search algorithm, but it is not efficient for large lists as it can potentially require checking every single element. Its time complexity is O(n), where n is the number of elements in the list. Despite its inefficiency, linear search is useful in certain situations, such as when the list is not sorted and cannot be sorted, or when the list is short.