Lists in Python

Selection Sort Algorithm

Sorting

• A very common activity for computers• Not just in business, sorting is used in

databases, graphics, simulations, games, etc.• Many different algorithms for sorting– different ones are better for sorting data in

different formats, environments, conditions• Python has a sort algorithm builtin, for lists

So why learn a sort algorithm?

• Good exercise for manipulating lists• Not all languages have one builtin• Why selection sort?– one of the simpler algorithms– easy to debug if necessary

Selection sort for n elements (ascending)

• for n-1 passesfind the largest value in unsorted part of listswap it with the value at the end of the

unsorted part

There are variations based on using smallest instead of largest, on descending instead of ascending