Pattern matching in fewer comparisons

Abstract

The problem of finding the occurrences of a pattern in a body of text is discussed. Several algorithms exist to solve this problem. The authors provide an overview of the Boyer-Moore algorithm, including its performance characteristics. They explain the implementation of the Kurak algorithm and its performance characteristics and compare the two algorithms. The analysis shows the Kurak algorithm to be superior when counting comparisons and when timing the search. The Kurak algorithm requires preprocessing of the text and thus, for the initial search, more time is required than for the Boyer-Moore algorithm. However, after the text has been processed the Kurak algorithm always provides superior performance.<>