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Merge Sort

Merge Sort is a divide-and-conquer algorithm that recursively splits an array into two halves, sorts each half, and then merges them back together. The merging process involves comparing elements from the two sorted halves and efficiently combining them into a single sorted array. Special cases must be handled during merging, such as differing array sizes and managing indices for both arrays.

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Akriti Shukla
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51 views8 pages

Merge Sort

Merge Sort is a divide-and-conquer algorithm that recursively splits an array into two halves, sorts each half, and then merges them back together. The merging process involves comparing elements from the two sorted halves and efficiently combining them into a single sorted array. Special cases must be handled during merging, such as differing array sizes and managing indices for both arrays.

Uploaded by

Akriti Shukla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Merge Sort

Prof. Nitin Paharia


introduction
• This algorithm is based on divide and conquer
problem solving technique.
•  A divide-and-conquer algorithm works by
recursively breaking down a problem into two or
more sub-problems of the same or related type, until
these become simple enough to be solved directly
• In merge sort problem is divided into two sub-
problems
• Problem- array of data to be sorted
Working of merge sort
• Divide the array in half
How do we sort?
• Sort the left half Can we avoid
sorting?
How?
• Sort the right half

• Merge the two halves together


Working of merge sort
• Divide the array in half

• Sort the left half take the left half, and go back to step 1
Until?

• Sort the right half take the left half, and go back to step 2
Until?

• Merge the two halves together


• MergeSort(arr[], l, r)
If r > l
1. Find the middle point to divide the array into two halves:
middle m = (l+r)/2
2. Call mergeSort for first half:
Divide
Call mergeSort(arr, l, m)
3. Call mergeSort for second half:
Call mergeSort(arr, m+1, r)
4. Merge the two halves sorted in step 2 and 3:
Call merge(arr, l, m, r) Conquer
Idea of Merging
say we have two sorted lists, how can we
efficiently merge them?
idea: compare the first element in each list to
each other, take the smallest and add to the
merged list -AND… repeat
merging sorted arrays
• -easy concept, tricky code
• lots of special cases:
– keep track of two indices to step through both arrays (the
“front” of each array)
– indices do not necessarily move at the same speed
– have to stop the loop when either index reaches the end of
their array
– the two arrays are not necessarily the same size
– what to do when you reach the end of one array but not the
other?
– copy from temp back into the array

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