Radix Sort for
Student Data
Management
This C program demonstrates the implementation of Radix
Sort to efficiently organize student data. The algorithm is
applied to sort students based on their grades and student IDs,
in both ascending and descending order. This powerful sorting
technique showcases its versatility in handling different data
types and sorting criteria within a structured educational
context.
Student Structure and Key Functions
The program defines a Student structure to encapsulate essential information: student ID, name, and grade.
Two key functions, get_grade and get_student_id, are implemented to extract the respective values from a
Student object. These functions play a crucial role in the sorting process, allowing the algorithm to focus on
specific attributes for comparison.
Student Structure Key Functions
Contains student_id (int), name (char array), and get_grade(Student) returns grade
grade (int) get_student_id(Student) returns student_id
Radix Sort Implementation
The radix_sort function forms the core of the sorting algorithm. It utilizes
the counting_sort_by_digit function to sort the students based on individual
digits of their grades or IDs. The algorithm first determines the maximum
value in the dataset to establish the number of digit places. It then iterates
through each digit place, from least significant to most significant, applying
counting sort at each step.
1 Find Max Value
Determine the maximum value in the dataset
2 Iterate Digit Places
Loop through each digit place (1s, 10s, 100s, etc.)
3 Apply Counting Sort
Use counting_sort_by_digit for each place value
Counting Sort by Digit
The counting_sort_by_digit function is a crucial component of the Radix Sort algorithm. It sorts the
students based on a specific digit place. The function creates a count array to tally the occurrences
of each digit (0-9) at the given place value. It then modifies this array to determine the correct
positions of elements in the output array. Finally, it builds the sorted output array and copies it back
to the original array.
Count Occurrences
Tally digit occurrences at the specific place value
Modify Count Array
Adjust counts to determine sorted positions
Build Output Array
Place elements in their sorted positions
Copy Back
Transfer sorted output to original array
Reverse Sorting Capability
The program includes functionality to sort in both ascending and
descending order. This is achieved through a reverse parameter in
the radix_sort and counting_sort_by_digit functions. When reverse
sorting is required, the algorithm first performs the standard
ascending sort, then reverses the entire array. This approach
maintains the efficiency of the Radix Sort while providing flexibility
in sorting direction.
Ascending Sort Descending Sort
Default sorting order Reverse parameter set to 1
(reverse = 0)
Implementation
Sort ascending, then reverse the array if needed
Main Function and Sample Data
The main function demonstrates the practical application of the Radix Sort
algorithm on a sample set of student data. It initializes an array of Student
structures with various attributes. The function then showcases the
versatility of the sorting algorithm by performing multiple sorts: by grade
(ascending and descending) and by student ID (ascending and
descending). After each sort, it prints the sorted list to display the results.
Student ID Name Grade
3 John 85
1 Alice 92
2 Bob 75
5 Emma 88
4 David 91
Printing and Output
The print_students function is responsible for displaying the student data in a readable format.
It iterates through the array of Student structures, printing each student's ID, name, and grade.
This function is called multiple times in the main function to show the original unsorted list and
the results of various sorting operations. The output provides a clear visualization of how the
Radix Sort algorithm organizes the student data based on different criteria.
Original List
Displays initial unsorted data
Ascending Sorts
Shows results of grade and ID ascending sorts
Descending Sorts
Presents grade and ID descending sort results
Conclusion and Applications
This implementation of Radix Sort for student data management
demonstrates the algorithm's efficiency and flexibility in handling
various sorting criteria. By sorting both grades and student IDs in
ascending and descending order, the program showcases its versatility
in educational data management scenarios. This approach can be
particularly useful in large-scale educational systems where quick and
efficient sorting of student records is crucial for analysis, reporting, and
decision-making processes.
1 Efficiency 2 Flexibility
Radix Sort provides efficient Capable of sorting by
sorting for large datasets different criteria (grade, ID)
and directions
3 Scalability 4 Practical Applications
Suitable for large-scale Useful for analysis,
educational data reporting, and decision-
management systems making in education
