Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm

E347189

pattern-matching algorithm string-search algorithm substring search algorithm

The Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm is a highly efficient pattern-matching algorithm that scans text from right to left and uses precomputed shift rules to skip sections of the text, making it one of the fastest practical algorithms for substring search.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Disambiguation Statements Elicitation Referenced by

All labels observed (6)

Label	Occurrences
Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm canonical	4
Boyer–Moore algorithm	2
Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm	2
Turbo Boyer–Moore algorithm	2
A Fast String Searching Algorithm	1
Galil rule enhanced Boyer–Moore	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T3305993 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm
Context triple: [J Strother Moore, knownFor, Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm]

A. Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm
The Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm is a classic linear-time string-searching algorithm that efficiently finds occurrences of a pattern within a text by precomputing a prefix function to avoid redundant comparisons.
B. Thompson's algorithm for regular expression matching
Thompson's algorithm for regular expression matching is a classic method that converts regular expressions into nondeterministic finite automata (NFAs) to enable efficient pattern matching in text processing.
C. Marzullo's algorithm
Marzullo's algorithm is a method for selecting the most likely correct time interval from multiple, possibly conflicting time sources, commonly used in clock synchronization systems.
D. Thompson's algorithm
Thompson's algorithm is a classic computer science method for converting regular expressions into nondeterministic finite automata (NFAs), widely used in pattern matching and lexical analysis.
E. Regular Expression Search Algorithm
Regular Expression Search Algorithm is a pattern-matching method for efficiently finding text strings that match specified regular expressions, originally developed and formalized by computer scientist Ken Thompson.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm
Target entity description: The Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm is a highly efficient pattern-matching algorithm that scans text from right to left and uses precomputed shift rules to skip sections of the text, making it one of the fastest practical algorithms for substring search.

A. Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm
The Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm is a classic linear-time string-searching algorithm that efficiently finds occurrences of a pattern within a text by precomputing a prefix function to avoid redundant comparisons.
B. Thompson's algorithm for regular expression matching
Thompson's algorithm for regular expression matching is a classic method that converts regular expressions into nondeterministic finite automata (NFAs) to enable efficient pattern matching in text processing.
C. Marzullo's algorithm
Marzullo's algorithm is a method for selecting the most likely correct time interval from multiple, possibly conflicting time sources, commonly used in clock synchronization systems.
D. Thompson's algorithm
Thompson's algorithm is a classic computer science method for converting regular expressions into nondeterministic finite automata (NFAs), widely used in pattern matching and lexical analysis.
E. Regular Expression Search Algorithm
Regular Expression Search Algorithm is a pattern-matching method for efficiently finding text strings that match specified regular expressions, originally developed and formalized by computer scientist Ken Thompson.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	pattern-matching algorithm ⓘ string-search algorithm ⓘ substring search algorithm ⓘ
advantage	efficient for long patterns ⓘ skips many text characters without examining them ⓘ very fast in practice on large alphabets ⓘ
assumes	finite alphabet ⓘ
basedOn	matched suffix information ⓘ mismatched character information ⓘ
category	search algorithms ⓘ string matching algorithms ⓘ
characteristic	compares characters in reverse order within the pattern ⓘ precomputes shift tables ⓘ scans pattern from right to left ⓘ skips sections of the text ⓘ sublinear average running time ⓘ
comparedWith	Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm ⓘ Rabin–Karp algorithm ⓘ
designedBy	J Strother Moore ⓘ Robert S. Boyer ⓘ
disadvantage	more complex to implement than simpler search algorithms ⓘ worst-case time can be quadratic in pattern and text length ⓘ
field	computer science ⓘ string algorithms ⓘ
hasSpaceComplexity	O(σ + m) ⓘ
hasTimeComplexity	O(n + m) average time ⓘ O(nm) worst-case time ⓘ
hasVariant	Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm ⓘ linked to: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm Galil rule enhanced Boyer–Moore ⓘ linked to: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm Turbo Boyer–Moore algorithm ⓘ linked to: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm
influenced	Apostolico–Giancarlo algorithm ⓘ Boyer–Moore–Horspool algorithm ⓘ linked to: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm Turbo Boyer–Moore algorithm ⓘ linked to: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm
input	pattern string ⓘ text string ⓘ
namedAfter	J Strother Moore ⓘ Robert S. Boyer ⓘ
optimizedFor	cases where pattern is much shorter than text ⓘ offline pattern preprocessing ⓘ
output	occurrence positions of pattern in text ⓘ
publicationYear	1977 ⓘ
publishedIn	Communications of the ACM ⓘ
titleOfOriginalPaper	A Fast String Searching Algorithm ⓘ linked to: Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm
typicalUseCase	information retrieval systems ⓘ search utilities ⓘ text editors ⓘ
uses	bad-character rule ⓘ good-suffix rule ⓘ pattern preprocessing ⓘ right-to-left pattern scanning ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

J Strother Moore → knownFor → Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm ⓘ

J Strother Moore → coInventorOf → Boyer–Moore string-search algorithm ⓘ

Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm → comparedWith → Boyer–Moore algorithm ⓘ