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Rotated Array Search

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Introduction

In computer science, searching for an element in a sorted array is a common problem. However, what if the array has been rotated a number of times? This is the problem we will be addressing in this challenge.

Skills Graph

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Problem

Given a sorted array that has been rotated a number of times, we need to find a specific element in the array. For example, if the original sorted array was [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] and it was rotated twice to become [3, 4, 5, 1, 2], we need to find the index of a specific element, such as 4.

Requirements

To solve this problem, we need to consider the following requirements:

  • The input is an array of integers.
  • We do not know how many times the array was rotated.
  • The array was originally sorted in increasing order.
  • For the output, we need to return the index of the element we are searching for.
  • We cannot assume that the inputs are valid.
  • We can assume that the solution fits memory.

Example Usage

Here are some examples of how this function can be used:

  • If no input is provided, an exception should be raised.
  • If an empty array is provided, None should be returned.
  • If the element we are searching for is not found in the array, None should be returned.
  • If the array contains duplicates, the function should still be able to find the correct index.
  • If the array does not contain duplicates, the function should still be able to find the correct index.

Summary

In summary, the problem of searching for an element in a sorted array that has been rotated a number of times can be solved by considering the requirements outlined above. By following these requirements, we can create a function that can find the index of a specific element in a rotated sorted array.

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