Algorithm Design Questions
The merge sort algorithm is a divide-and-conquer sorting algorithm that works by repeatedly dividing the unsorted list into smaller sublists until each sublist contains only one element. Then, it merges these sublists back together in a sorted manner until the entire list is sorted.
The algorithm follows these steps:
1. Divide the unsorted list into two equal halves.
2. Recursively divide each sublist until each sublist contains only one element.
3. Merge the sublists by comparing the elements from each sublist and placing them in the correct order.
4. Repeat the merging process until the entire list is sorted.
The key operation in merge sort is the merging step, where two sorted sublists are combined to form a single sorted sublist. This is done by comparing the elements from each sublist and placing them in the correct order. The merging process continues until all sublists are merged into a single sorted list.
Merge sort has a time complexity of O(n log n), making it an efficient sorting algorithm for large lists. It is also a stable sorting algorithm, meaning that it preserves the relative order of equal elements in the sorted list.