The Origin Of The Binary-Search Paradigm

Citation

Manna, Z., & Waldinger, R. (1987). The origin of a binary-search paradigm. Science of Computer Programming, 9(1), 37-83.

Abstract

In a binary-search algorithm for the computation of a numerical function, the interval in which the desired output is sought is divided in half at each iteration. The paper considers how such algorithms might be derived from their specifications by an automatic program-synthesis system. The derivation of the binary-search concept has been found to be surprisingly straightforward. The programs obtained, though reasonably simple and efficient, are quite different from those that would have been constructed by informal means.


Read more from SRI

  • Banner and attendees at the IEEE Hard Tech Venture Summit

    Cultivating hard tech startups that scale

    IEEE’s Hard Tech Venture Summit convened innovators at SRI to refine strategies and build new networks.

  • Patient going into a MRI

    Bringing surgical tools inside the MRI

    Drawing on SRI’s unique innovation ecosystem, the startup Medical Devices Corner is seeking to improve cancer surgery by advancing MRI-safe teleoperation.

  • Christopher Mims and Susan Patrick

    PARC Forum: How to AI

    The Wall Street Journal tech columnist Christopher Mims and SRI Education’s Susan Patrick discuss how AI can strengthen human agency.