Sorting Algorithms

How Selection Sort Works

  • Waiting
  • Being compared
  • Just moved
  • In final position
1/97

Selection sort, 12 values in random order.

Settings

More options
Starting order

Two to 48 numbers, used in the order you type them.

Selection Sort

  1. 1for i in 0..n-2:
  2. 2 min = i
  3. 3 for j in i+1..n-1:
  4. 4 if a[j] < a[min]:
  5. 5 min = j
  6. 6 swap(i, min)
  7. 7 // a[i] is now final

How the Seven Compare

AlgorithmBestAverageWorstExtra memoryStable
BubbleO(n)O(n²)O(n²)O(1)Yes
InsertionO(n)O(n²)O(n²)O(1)Yes
SelectionO(n²)O(n²)O(n²)O(1)No
ShellO(n log n)O(n√n)O(n²)O(1)No
MergeO(n log n)O(n log n)O(n log n)O(n)Yes
QuickO(n log n)O(n log n)O(n²)O(log n)No
HeapO(n log n)O(n log n)O(n log n)O(1)No

Scroll the table sideways for the rest of the columns.

Stable means equal values keep their original order.