[Nerdy] Sorting Out Sorting

Here's a lovely film I had to watch for my Data Structures and Algorithms class. Very nerdy, but helpful if you are a programmer since you can visually identify the best and worst sorting methods.

"Sorting Out Sorting" -- Baecker, Ronald M., with the assistance of David Sherman, 30 minute color sound film, Dynamic Graphics Project, University of Toronto, 1981.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Steve Hetelekides]

Best sorting film I've seen.

[segankuz]

Insertion Sorts: 0:42 Linear Insertion: 0:50 Binary Insertion: 2:44 Shellsort: 4:15 Linear Insertion vs. Binary Insertion vs. Shellsort: 5:59

Exchange Sorts: 8:42 Bubble Sort: 8:48 Quick Sort: 11:14 Bubble Sort vs. Shaker Sort vs. Quicksort: 14:00

Selection Sorts: 16:18 Straight Selection: 16:25 Tree Selection: 17:42 Heap Sort: 20:13

 Straight Selection vs. Tree Selection vs. Heapsort: 23:05

[Methos93]

Watched 5 seconds of this and closed out browser

[MrFreeGman]

The music is amazing I don't know what you're talking about...

[xtieburn]

It should be noted that there are exceptions that can allow what typically look like terrible sorting algorithms to shine. For example, on a set of data that you can be sure is nearly sorted already Shell Sort can be faster than Quick Sort and both of those can end up slower than the usually terrible Bubble Sort.

Examples of this tend to be rare but its worth keeping in mind.

[Edward Tan]

The "music" killed me for 30 minutes.

[GoodNewsJim]

Merge sort is typically regarded as best, but I think it might be newer than 1961... Just guessing here.

[GoodNewsJim]

Then you've never seen sorting by Hungarian Dance:

youtube ?v=lyZQPjUT5B4

[X9SecretAgent]

Google Peter Principle

[Willy Montes]

What about the merge sort?

[BallawdeQuincewold]

I don't get the reference to a Peter.