[Leetcode] Search a 2D Matrix

Write an efficient algorithm that searches for a value in an m x n matrix. This matrix has the following properties:

• Integers in each row are sorted from left to right.
• The first integer of each row is greater than the last integer of the previous row.

class Solution {
public:
bool searchMatrix(vector<vector<int> > &matrix, int target) {
    int row=matrix.size()-1;     // rows number as it appears
    int col=matrix[0].size();    // cols number. why not -1? because I'm gonna take %
    int index=0;                 // pointer


    while(target>matrix[index][index%col] & index!=row){//pointer goes along diagonals like zigzag if the #row is greater than #col
        index++;                                        // try to find the right row, stop condition: reaching the last row or meeting
    }                                                   // the right row
    if(target<matrix[index][0] & index!=0)              // if the smallest unit of right row is still larger than target, 
        index--;                                        // or not the 1st row, pointer goes back for 1 row
    for(vector<int>::iterator iter=matrix[index].begin();iter!=matrix[index].end();++iter){// search the whole row for target
        if(target==*iter) return true;  // comes up with the target return true
    }
    return false;  // ends up nothing return false
}

This can be faster than a direct search, for the reason that it actually search along diagonals. I guess it's something about the possibility.

There is another way, that we can treat this 2D matrix as a one dimension matrix, and always compare the target with the middle value.