Sorting Algorithms

Sorting is the process of converting a list of elements into ascending (or descending) order. For example, given a list of numbers (17, 3, 44, 6, 9), the list after sorting is (3, 6, 9, 17, 44). You may have carried out sorting when arranging papers in alphabetical order, or arranging envelopes to have ascending zip codes (as required for bulk mailings).

The challenge of sorting is that a program can't "see" the entire list to know where to move an element. Instead, a program is limited to simpler steps, typically observing or swapping just two elements at a time. So sorting just by swapping values is an important part of sorting algorithms.