What Does Sorting Algorithm Mean?
A sorting algorithm is an algorithm that sorts arrays of data. Different types of sort algorithms include:
- Comparison sorts
- Merge sorts
- Insertions sorts
- Bubble sorts
- Quick sorts
Techopedia Explains Sorting Algorithm
In some ways, the sorting algorithm is a unit of more complex technology processes. For instance, in decision trees, which are set up to handle sorted data, a specific digital structure provides iterative sorting with algorithms to achieve a given result. For example, if an initial sorting algorithm fails to produce the complex result needed, the decision tree may apply another sorting algorithm, and another, based on its programming and setup, to come up with a finished product that meets the needs of its users.
Sorting algorithms are also useful in rapidly advancing fields like machine learning, partly because into the big data age and beyond, one of the biggest capabilities of IT systems is to manipulate large sets of data. This inherently involves quite a lot of sorting. In machine learning, where the machine learns from large sets of training data, sorting algorithms may be a major component of the intellectual and computational work involved in building the systems and implementing them.
As a result, understanding basic sorting algorithms is a necessary part of certain kinds of computer science work. In general, the computer scientist must be a kind of mathematician – understanding the terminology and lingo of mathematics and statistics, and understanding how to use each kind of sort algorithm effectively.
