Sorting Algorithms Questions Long
The insertion merge sort algorithm is a combination of the insertion sort and merge sort algorithms. It aims to improve the efficiency of the merge sort algorithm by utilizing the insertion sort algorithm for smaller subarrays.
The algorithm begins by dividing the input array into smaller subarrays until each subarray contains only one element. This is done recursively through a process called "splitting". Once the subarrays are of size one, they are considered sorted.
Next, the algorithm starts merging the sorted subarrays back together. However, instead of using the traditional merge sort approach of merging two subarrays at a time, the insertion merge sort algorithm uses the insertion sort algorithm to merge the subarrays.
To merge the subarrays, the algorithm starts with the first two subarrays and compares the elements in them. It then inserts the smaller element into a new temporary array. This process continues until all the elements from both subarrays are merged into the temporary array.
After merging the first two subarrays, the algorithm moves on to merge the next two subarrays, and so on, until all the subarrays are merged into a single sorted array.
The insertion merge sort algorithm takes advantage of the fact that insertion sort performs well on small arrays or partially sorted arrays. By using insertion sort for merging the subarrays, the algorithm reduces the number of comparisons and swaps required, resulting in improved efficiency.
Overall, the insertion merge sort algorithm combines the strengths of both insertion sort and merge sort to achieve a more efficient sorting algorithm. It is particularly useful when dealing with large arrays or arrays with partially sorted elements.