Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education Vol.12 No.

14 (2021), 5920-5924
Research Article

Sorting and Classification of Sorting Algorithms

Rouf Ali
Department of Computer Application
Govt. Degree College Boys Sopore
Jammu & Kashmir, India
[email protected]

Abstract
Sorting and searching are fundamental problems in computer science that have attracted the
attention of the researchers from the past. Sorting algorithms never remained the same but
have evolved from the past and new approaches have been developed to solve this problem.
New terminologies have been introduced by algorithmic designers to describe these
algorithms. In this paper, I have studied the basis for classification of algorithms into
different classes. This paper will be helpful to both researchers and learners in solving and
understanding this problem.
KEYWORDS:sorting, searching, stable, unstable, adaptive,recursive,non-adaptive

Introduction
Arranging data items/elements/values/keys (𝑛number of items)of an array/list in an ordered
sequence is called "sorting". Shuffling is the opposite of sorting, that is, it is rearranging a
sequence of items in a random or meaningless order.
Sorting can order dataitems (or elements) in an increasing, non-decreasing, decreasing, non-
increasing order according to some linear relationship among the data items.A sequence of
values is said to be in increasing order if the successive element is greater than the previous
one. For example, -1,2, 3, 5, 6,18, 29 are in increasing order. A sequence of values is said to
be in non-decreasing order, if the successive element is greater than or equal to its previous
element in the sequence. This order occurs when the sequence contains similar values. For
example, 1, 2,2,3,3,3, 7, 8, 9 are in non-decreasing order. A sequence of values is said to be
in decreasing order, if the successive element is less than the current one. For example, 99,
18, 4, 3, 1,0,-4 are in decreasing order, as every next element is less than the previous
element.A sequence of values is said to be in non-increasing order, if the successive element
is less than or equal to its previous element in the sequence. This order occurs when the
sequence contains duplicate values. For example, 29, 7, 6,6, 3, 3 are in non-increasing order
Sorting has two common, yet distinct meanings:
1. Ordering: arranging items in a sequence ordered by some criterion
2. Categorizing: grouping items with similar properties
Ordering items is the combination of categorizing them based on equivalent order, and
ordering the categories themselves.
Datacan be sorted by text (A to Z or Z to A, that is, the alphabetical order/the lexicographic
order), Numbers (smallest to largest or largest to smallest, that is, numerical order) and dates
and times (oldest to newest and newest to oldest-chronological order). Sorting data is an
integral part of data analysis, for example, arranging a list of names in alphabetical order or
compiling a list of product cost values.Sorting data helps in quickly visualizing and

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Research Article

understanding data, organizing and finding the data that you want, and ultimately make more
effective decisions.
Following are some of the examples of sorting in real-life applications of sorting:
1. Telephone Directory – Thetelephone directory stores the telephone numbers of people
sorted by their names, so that the names can be searched easily.
2. Dictionary − the dictionary stores words in a lexicographical order so that searching of
any word becomes easy.
Sorting a list of n data items can be achieved by different methods. A Sorting algorithm
specifies the method to arrange data in a particular order.
There are many sorting algorithms which belong to different classes. There are particular
characteristics present in a sorting algorithm that determine the class to which it belongs.
Classification of sorting algorithms
Sorting algorithms can be classified into following types:
Stable or unstable sorting algorithms
The stability of a sorting algorithm is concerned with how the algorithm treats equal (or
repeated) elements. Stable sorting algorithms preserve the relative order of equal elements,
while as unstable sorting algorithms don’t. In other words, if a sorting algorithm, after sorting
the data items, does not change the sequence of similar data items in which they appear in the
input array then it is called stable sorting. If a sorting algorithm, after sorting the data items,
changes the sequence of similar data in which they appear, it is called unstable sorting.
Let 𝐿 be a collection of unordered elements. let 𝑀 be the collection of elements in L in the
sorted order. consider two equal elements in L at indices 𝑖 and 𝑗, that is, 𝐿[𝑖] and 𝐿[𝑗], that
end up at indices m and n respectively in 𝑀. We can classify the sorting as stable if:
𝑖 < 𝑗 and 𝐿[𝑖] = 𝐿[𝑗] and M[m]=L[i] and M[n]=L[j] then 𝑚 < 𝑛
Stability is not a concern if:
1. The equal elements are indistinguishable, or
2. All the elements in the collection are distinct
Examples of stable sorts are Merge Sort, Tim sort, Counting Sort, Insertion Sort, and Bubble
Sort.Examples of non-stable sorts are Quicksort, Heap sort and Selection Sort
In place or not in place (out place) sorting Algorithms
Every algorithm has memory space(storage) requirements for sorting of data items i.e. the
elements of the array need to be placed in main memory before they can be sorted by the
processor. If a Sorting algorithm has to sort n data items, then it at least requires n memory
locations to store these data items. Some Sorting algorithms require only n locations for
sorting of n data items. These sorting algorithms are called in-place sorting algorithms.
Somesorting algorithms however may require more than n storage locations (that is, buffers)
to carry out sorting such algorithms are called not-in-place sorting algorithms. In particular,
some sorting algorithms are "in-place". Strictly, an in-place sort needs only 𝑂(1) memory
beyond the items being sorted; sometimes O(log n) additional memory is considered "in-
place". Out place algorithms require 𝑂(𝑛).
Examples of in place sorts are bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort,etc.
Examples of not in place sortsare radix sort and bucket sort.
Note: Some sorting algorithms can be implemented both in place and not in place, for
example, K-way merge sort etc.

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Recursive or non-Recursive (iterative)

Recursion is a phenomenon in which function calls itself again and again
Sorting algorithms can be implemented as recursive algorithm or as non-recursive algorithm
or both. Recursive sorting algorithms work by splitting the input array into two or more
smaller subarrays and then sorting those sub arrays, it then combines the sorted subarrays into
sorted output array. A non-recursive algorithm does the sorting all at once by using iterative
statements/repetitive statements/loops only, without calling itself again and again. Bubble-
sort is an example of a non-recursive algorithm.
Examples of Recursive sorts are merge sort, quick sort
Examples of not recursive bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort
Adaptive or Non-AdaptiveSorting Algorithms
Sorting Algorithms can be adaptive or Non-Adaptive depending on whether pre-sortedness of
the input list affects or does not affect the running time
A sorting algorithm is said to be adaptive, if it takes advantage of already 'sorted' elements in
the list that is to be sorted. That is, while sorting if the source list has some element already
sorted, adaptive algorithms will take this into account and will try not to re-order them.
A non-adaptive algorithm is one which does not take into account the elements which are
already sorted. They try to force every single element to be re-ordered to confirm their
sortedness.
Examples of adaptive sorts are stranded sort, quick sort
Examples of non-adaptivesorts are Selection Sort, Merge Sort, and Heap Sort.
Computational Complexity
The algorithmic complexity of different sorting algorithms varies depending on Best, worst
and average case behavior in terms of the size of the data list. For typical serial sorting
algorithms, good behavior is 𝑂(𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑛), with parallel sort is 𝑂(log 2 𝑛), and bad behavior is
𝑂(𝑛2 ). Ideal behavior for a serial sort is 𝑂(𝑛), but this is not possible in the average case.
Optimal parallel sorting is 𝑂(𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑛).
Online or offline
Online sorting algorithm can sort a constant stream of input. An online algorithm is one that
can process its input one by one in a serial fashion, i.e., in the order that the input is fed to the
algorithm, without having the entire input available from the start of the algorithm, for
example, insertion sort.
In contrast, an offline algorithm is given the whole problem data from the beginning and is
required to output an answer which solves the problem at hand.
Comparison sort or Non-comparison sort
A comparison sort examines the data only by comparing two elements with a comparison
operator. best complexity of comparison sort algorithm is 𝑂(𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑔(𝑛))
A non-comparison algorithm sorts the data without using comparisonsit uses the internal
character/nature of the values for producing sorted output. Non comparison sorts can be
applied only to some particular cases which satisfy certain conditions, and requires particular
values. The best complexity of non-comparison sort is 𝑂(𝑛), for example, counting sort,radix
sort

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Research Article

Algorithm is serial or parallel

Parallel sorting algorithms are simply algorithms that allows parallel processing, that is,
perform multiple operations in a given time.While serial sorting algorithms are simply
algorithms that allows serial processing and don’t support parallel processing.
External and Internal sorting
In internal sorting all the data to be sorted is stored in memory (main memory or RAM)at all
times while sorting algorithm is being executed by a processor.In external sorting data is
stored outside memory or secondary memory (like on disk) and only loaded into memory in
small blocks whenever needed. External sorting is usually applied in cases when data can't fit
into main memory entirely i.e. memory available is less than data to be sorted.
Conclusion
The study of Classification of sorting algorithms helps the algorithmic designers in keeping
into consideration different parameters in their mind beforehand while writing the new
solutions to sorting problem. In this way they can design the efficient algorithms which can
be better as compared to already existing algorithm in terms of running time on processor and
storage requirements. This classification can equally beneficial for the new learners of the
sorting problem in introducing to them different terms and concepts they should know before
studying the sorting algorithms so that develops in them better understanding of the
sortingAlgorithms. In conclusion thisclassification is not final it simply provides an insight
and will definitely change with evolving technology and it will as well change with the new
approaches that will be developed by researchers for solving sorting problem.

Acknowledgment
I am thankful to Prof Firdous Ahmad Mala, Head, Department of Mathematics, Govt. Degree
College, Sopore, J&K for providing the necessary guidance for the research work and for
helping me in writing this paper. I would also like to thank Prof Joy Paulose, Head,
Department of Computer Application,Christ University, Bangalore who has taught me and
has been a source of inspiration.
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[6] Karp, Richard M. (1992). "On-line algorithms versus off-line algorithms: How much is it
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