What is Sorting?

Sorting is a way of arranging items in a specific order, such as numbers from smallest to largest or names alphabetically. This helps computers and people find what they are looking for in a more organized way.

What is a Sorting Algorithm?

A sorting algorithm is a set of instructions or rules that tells a computer how to arrange a list of items in a particular order. Imagine you have an array of numbers, and you want to arrange them in ascending order. A sorting algorithm would be like a set of steps you follow to organize the numbers from the smallest to the largest.

Complexity Comparison of Sorting Algorithms

Algorithm Best Case Average Case Worst Case Memory Stable Method Used
Quick Sort nlogn nlogn n2 nlogn No Partitioning
Merge Sort nlogn nlogn nlogn n Yes Merging
Heap Sort nlogn nlogn nlogn 1 No Selection
Insertion Sort n n2 n2 1 Yes Insertion
Tim Sort n nlogn nlogn n Yes Insertion & Merging
Selection Sort n2 n2 n2 1 No Selection
Shell Sort nlogn n4/3 n3/2 1 No Insertion
Bubble Sort n n2 n2 1 Yes Exchanging
Tree Sort nlogn nlogn nlogn n Yes Insertion
Cycle Sort n2 n2 n2 1 No Selection
Strand Sort n n2 n2 n Yes Selection
Cocktail Shaker Sort n n2 n2 1 Yes Exchanging
Comb Sort nlogn n2 n2 1  No Exchanging
Gnome Sort n n2 n2 1 Yes Exchanging
Odd Even Sort n n2 n2 1 Yes Exchanging

There are various types of sorting algorithms in computer science.

  • Selection Sort
  • Bubble Sort
  • Insertion Sort
  • Merge Sort
  • Quick Sort
  • Heap Sort
  • Counting Sort
  • Radix Sort
  • Bucket Sort
  • Bingo Sort Algorithm
  • ShellSort
  • TimSort
  • Comb Sort
  • Pigeonhole Sort
  • Cycle Sort
  • Cocktail Sort
  • Strand Sort
  • Bitonic Sort
  • Pancake sorting
  • BogoSort or Permutation Sort
  • Gnome Sort
  • Sleep Sort – The King of Laziness
  • Structure Sorting in C++
  • Stooge Sort
  • Tag Sort (To get both sorted and original)
  • Tree Sort
  • Odd-Even Sort / Brick Sort
  • 3-way Merge Sort
Sorting Algorithm