def binary_search(alist, item):
  first = 0
  last = len(alist)-1
  while first<=last:
    midpoint = (first + last)/2
    if alist[midpoint] == item:
      return True
    elif item < alist[midpoint]:
      last = midpoint-1
    else:
      first = midpoint+1
  return False
testlist = [0, 1, 2, 8, 13, 17, 19, 32, 42,]
print(binary_search(testlist, 3))
print(binary_search(testlist, 13))

def binary_search(alist, item):
  if len(alist) == 0:
    return False
  else:
    midpoint = len(alist)//2
    if alist[midpoint]==item:
      return True
    else:
      if item<alist[midpoint]:
        return binary_search(alist[:midpoint],item)
      else:
        return binary_search(alist[midpoint+1:],item)
testlist = [0, 1, 2, 8, 13, 17, 19, 32, 42,]
print(binary_search(testlist, 3))
print(binary_search(testlist, 13))