Sorting Algorithms

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Algorithms

Objectives
● Understand and explain how the merge sort algorithm
works.
● Understand and explain how the bubble sort algorithm
works.
● Compare and contrast merge sort and bubble sort
algorithms.
Sorting
● When we’re managing data, at some point it may need
to be sorted
● All sorted data is based on an order (alphabetical,
numerical, etc)
● This makes it quicker to find things in lists, arrays and
databases
● Example: Finding the student whose ID number is
1405912
Types of Sorts
There are two methods of sorting data in algorithms:
● Merge sort
● Bubble sort
Merge Sort
The merge sort is like the binary search - the sort splits the
data in half and works on each half in turn.
The computer sorts the smaller groups before merging the
two groups together again, a bit like when we shuffle
cards (only we mess up the sort, the computer resets it)
How is a merge sort ran?
1.FIrstly, the computer repeatedly splits the data into two
halves until each “list” contains only one item of data.
2.Now decomposed, these “lists” can be merged back
together, this time in either ascending (A→Z)or
descending order (A←Z)
Pseudocode
If the array is
already sorted MergeSort (Array(First..Last))
BEGIN
Rounded to the
IF Array contains only one element THEN
nearest integer
RETURN Array
ELSE
Middle= ((Last + First)/2)
LeftSide=MergeSort(Array(FIrst..Middle)
RightSide=MergeSort(Array(Middle+1..Last)0
Result=Merge(LeftSide,RightSide)
RETURN Result
ENDIF
END MergeSort
Bubble Sort
The bubble sort comes from the idea of stones settling in a
tank: larger stones sink to the bottom while the small
ones rise to the top.
How is a bubble sort ran?
1.A bubble sort compares the first two items, checks
which is larger and puts the large one first
2.The next pair is checked, and so on…
3.If there have been any position changes, the whole
process is repeated until the computer can go from start
to finish and there are no changed to be made.
4.At this point, the data is in descending order.
Pseudocode
FOR i from 1 to N
For x from 0 to N - 1
IF y[x]>y[x+1]
SWAP (y[x], y[x+1])
Comparing Merge & Bubble
Bubble Merge

Efficiently handle big data sets? No Yes

Speed Usually slower Faster

Space used in memory Stable (never changes since Variable (splits the data in
items are just swapped) two)