Explain the bubble sort algorithm.

The bubble sort algorithm is a simple sorting algorithm that repeatedly steps through the list, compares adjacent elements, and swaps them if they are in the wrong order. This process is repeated until the entire list is sorted.

Here is a step-by-step explanation of the bubble sort algorithm:

1. Start at the beginning of the list.
2. Compare the first element with the second element. If the first element is greater than the second element, swap them.
3. Move to the next pair of elements and repeat the comparison and swapping process.
4. Continue this process until you reach the end of the list. At this point, the largest element will be at the end of the list.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the remaining elements, excluding the last element that is already sorted.
6. Continue this process until the entire list is sorted.

The name "bubble sort" comes from the way smaller elements "bubble" to the top of the list during each iteration. The algorithm works by repeatedly swapping adjacent elements if they are in the wrong order, gradually moving larger elements towards the end of the list.

Bubble sort has a time complexity of O(n^2), where n is the number of elements in the list. It is not considered an efficient sorting algorithm for large lists, but it is easy to understand and implement.