Whenever data is collected, there comes a time when it becomes necessary to sort the data. The sorting operation is common to all datasets, be it a collection of names, telephone numbers, or items on a simple to-do list.
In this chapter, we'll study a few sorting techniques, including the following:
- Bubble sort
- Insertion sort
- Selection sort
- Quick sort
- Heap sort
In our treatment of these sorting algorithms, we will take into consideration their asymptotic behavior. Some of the algorithms are relatively easy to develop but may perform poorly. Other algorithms that are a little complex to write will show impressive performance.
After sorting, it becomes much easier to conduct search operations on a collection of items. We'll start with the simplest of all sorting algorithms--the bubble sort algorithm.