Sorting Techniques
Sorting means putting things in order, usually from smallest to biggest.
Example:
Before: 8 3 5 1 4
After : 1 3 4 5 8Think of sorting like arranging books from shortest to tallest, or lining up students by height.
Files In This Folder
- Bubble Sort
- Insertion Sort
- Selection Sort
- Quick Sort
- Merge Sort
- Heap Sort
- Comparison
- Visual Comparison
Fast Idea Of Each Method
| Algorithm | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Bubble Sort | Big items “bubble” to the end by swapping neighbors |
| Insertion Sort | Put each new item into the correct place in the sorted part |
| Selection Sort | Repeatedly pick the smallest item and put it in front |
| Quick Sort | Pick a pivot, split into smaller and bigger parts, sort them |
| Merge Sort | Split into halves, sort them, then merge back together |
| Heap Sort | Build a special tree shape and repeatedly remove the largest |
Which Ones Are Usually Faster?
For very small lists, Insertion Sort is often good.
For large lists:
- Quick Sort is usually very fast in practice
- Merge Sort is very reliable and always
O(n log n)time - Heap Sort is also
O(n log n)time, but often a bit less friendly to understand
Easy Memory Trick
O(n^2)sorts: Bubble, Insertion, SelectionO(n log n)sorts: Quick (average), Merge, Heap
See Also
For the side-by-side table and when to use each one, read Comparison.
For diagram-heavy visuals, read Visual Comparison.