Sorting Laboratory
Sorting Laboratory Main Applet
This links to an applet that allows
the user to select a sorting algorithm,
a type of
data distribution, and a sample size, and displays the number of
compares
and swaps that were needed to run one instance of the selected
algorithm
and parameters.
Sorting
Laboratory Worksheet (html document)
Sorting
Laboratory Worksheet (Word version)
Make a hard copy of the worksheet,
and use it to record data from repeated
selections
of the options presented by the main sorting applet. The worksheet
has tables
for recording data and observations formed after examining the
data.
Descriptions and code
for each of the sorting algorithms contained in this laboratory
Applet displaying the best-fitting curve to data
A regression analysis is performed
on the data collected running five trials
each for
ten different sample sizes of distinct random integers. The average
number of
compares for the five trials is determined for each of the ten sample
sizes and used to fit the best quadratic or n lg(n) curve to the data.
Links to other sites
displaying animations of sorting algorithms
Sorting Annimations (from C. Wellington, Shippensburg Univ.)