Interpolation Search in C++

Algorithms: Searching November 15, 2026 C++

Interpolation search estimates the target position from endpoint values, which can help on roughly uniform numeric data..

cpp
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#include <stdio.h>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <cstdint>
#include <limits>
// Interpolation Search in C++
//
// PURPOSE
// Interpolation search estimates the target position from endpoint values, which can help on
// roughly uniform numeric data.
//
// METHOD
// Estimate a position proportional to the target value between endpoint values. Compare
// there and discard the impossible side. Handle equal endpoints separately.
//
// COMPLEXITY
// Expected O(log log n) comparisons for suitable uniform distributions; O(n) worst case,
// O(1) space.
//
// CONTRACT
// Ascending nonnegative integers <= 10000; n <= 10000 so the interpolation product fits
// signed 32-bit. Returns any matching index or -1.
// Public APIs infer array lengths except in C, which accepts pointer/length pairs. Vertex
// counts and matrix dimensions remain explicit. Arrays must contain signed 32-bit integers.
// Sorted order, correct tree topology, and caller-owned data-structure invariants are
// preconditions; checking them on every query would change query complexity.
// Scalar and shape checks are included. Value-range checks are included where needed to
// prevent invalid indexing or nontermination. Allocation sizes are capped at 4,000,000
// workspace entries. Arithmetic outside Python raises an error on 32-bit overflow; Python
// uses arbitrary precision. Native allocation failures propagate. In-place outputs may be
// partly updated after arithmetic failure. These are single-threaded, in-memory
// implementations.
//
// LANGUAGE DETAILS
// C++17: const vector references for inputs, mutable references for outputs, RAII workspace,
// standard lower_bound for LIS. Invalid inputs throw invalid_argument; overflow throws
// overflow_error; allocation failure propagates bad_alloc.
//
// EXAMPLE
// Expected return: 2.
// Run: g++ -std=c++17 -O2 example.cpp -o example && ./example
// Tests for this exact source artifact run before publication. The accompanying source
// archive includes unit cases, runtime results, and source hashes.

static int alg_min(int a, int b) { return a < b ? a : b; }
static int alg_max(int a, int b) { return a > b ? a : b; }
static void alg_require(bool valid) { if (!valid) throw std::invalid_argument("invalid algorithm input"); }
static int alg_checked(int64_t v) { if (v < INT32_MIN || v > INT32_MAX) throw std::overflow_error("32-bit result overflow"); return (int)v; }
static int alg_add(int a,int b) { return alg_checked((int64_t)a+b); }
static int alg_sub(int a,int b) { return alg_checked((int64_t)a-b); }
static int alg_mul(int a,int b) { return alg_checked((int64_t)a*b); }
static size_t alg_size(int n) { alg_require(n>=0 && n<=4000000); return (size_t)n; }

int interpolation_search(const std::vector<int>& a, int target) {
    alg_require(a.size() <= 1000000);
    int n = (int)a.size();
    alg_require(((n >= 0) && (n <= 1000000)));
    alg_require(((int)a.size() == n));
    alg_require((n <= 10000));
    for (int alg_i = 0; alg_i < (int)a.size(); alg_i++) {
        int alg_value = a[alg_i];
        alg_require(((alg_value >= 0) && (alg_value <= 10000)));
    }
    int low = 0;
    int high = alg_sub(n, 1);
    int pos = 0;
    while (((low <= high) && (target >= a[low]) && (target <= a[high]))) {
        if ((a[low] == a[high])) {
            return low;
        }
        pos = alg_add(low, (alg_mul(alg_sub(target, a[low]), alg_sub(high, low)) / alg_sub(a[high], a[low])));
        if ((a[pos] == target)) {
            return pos;
        }
        if ((a[pos] < target)) {
            low = alg_add(pos, 1);
        } else {
            high = alg_sub(pos, 1);
        }
    }
    return alg_sub(0, 1);
}

int main(void) {
    std::vector<int> a = {0, 10, 20, 30};
    int target = 20;
    int result = interpolation_search(a, target);
    printf("%d\n", result);
    return 0;
}