check if array is sorted

## Mastering Array Sortedness: A Comprehensive Guide with Code Examples

Determining whether an array is sorted is a fundamental task in computer science. It's a prerequisite for efficient search algorithms like binary search, plays a crucial role in verifying sorting algorithms, and can be useful in data validation and preprocessing. This tutorial will provide a comprehensive exploration of different approaches to checking if an array is sorted, complete with code examples in various languages. We'll cover:

1. **Understanding Sortedness:** Defining what it means for an array to be sorted.
2. **Basic Linear Scan Approach:** A simple and intuitive method.
3. **Handling Different Sorting Orders:** Checking for ascending and descending order.
4. **Dealing with Duplicate Elements:** Accounting for non-strict sortedness.
5. **Recursive Approach:** A different perspective using recursion.
6. **Language-Specific Implementations:** Examples in Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript.
7. **Performance Considerations:** Analyzing the efficiency of different methods.
8. **Edge Cases:** Considering empty arrays and single-element arrays.
9. **Applications of Sortedness Checks:** Real-world use cases.

**1. Understanding Sortedness:**

An array is considered sorted if its elements are arranged in a specific order. This order can be:

* **Ascending (Increasing):** Each element is greater than or equal to the element preceding it. Example: `[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]` or `[1, 1, 2, 3, 3]`
* **Descending (Decreasing):** Each element is less than or equal to the element preceding it. Example: `[5, 4, 3, 2, 1]` or `[5, 5, 4, 3, 3]`

It's important to note the "or equal to" part. Arrays can be sorted while containing duplicate values. If we require each element to be *strictly greater than* the previous element, we are checking for *strictly sorted* arrays.

**2. Basic Linear Scan Approach:**

The most straightforward way to check if an array is sorted is to iterate through it and ...

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