Bubble sort

Bubble sort
Static visualization of bubble sort[1]
ClassSorting algorithm
Data structureArray
Worst-case performance comparisons, swaps
Best-case performance comparisons, swaps
Average performance comparisons, swaps
Worst-case space complexity total, auxiliary
OptimalNo

Bubble sort, sometimes referred to as sinking sort, is a simple sorting algorithm that repeatedly steps through the input list element by element, comparing the current element with the one after it, swapping their values if needed. These passes through the list are repeated until no swaps have to be performed during a pass, meaning that the list has become fully sorted. The algorithm, which is a comparison sort, is named for the way the larger elements "bubble" up to the top of the list.

This simple algorithm performs poorly in real-world use and is used primarily as an educational tool. More efficient algorithms such as quicksort, timsort, or merge sort are used by the sorting libraries built into popular programming languages such as Python and Java.[2] [3] However, if parallel processing is allowed, bubble sort sorts in O(n) time, making it considerably faster than parallel implementations of insertion sort or selection sort which do not parallelize as effectively.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Cortesi, Aldo (27 April 2007). "Visualising Sorting Algorithms". Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  2. ^ "[JDK-6804124] (coll) Replace "modified mergesort" in java.util.Arrays.sort with timsort - Java Bug System". bugs.openjdk.java.net. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
  3. ^ Peters, Tim (2002-07-20). "[Python-Dev] Sorting". Retrieved 2020-01-11.