Sorting Algorithms Questions Medium
The brick sort algorithm, also known as the odd-even sort or the cocktail sort, is a variation of the bubble sort algorithm. It is a comparison-based sorting algorithm that works by repeatedly iterating through the list, comparing adjacent elements, and swapping them if they are in the wrong order.
The algorithm gets its name from the way it sorts the elements, resembling the way a bricklayer would sort bricks. It sorts the list in two phases: the odd phase and the even phase.
During the odd phase, the algorithm compares and swaps adjacent elements starting from the first element (index 0) and moving towards the end of the list. If an element is greater than its adjacent element, they are swapped. This process is repeated until the end of the list is reached.
After completing the odd phase, the even phase begins. In this phase, the algorithm compares and swaps adjacent elements starting from the second element (index 1) and moving towards the end of the list. Again, if an element is greater than its adjacent element, they are swapped. This process is repeated until the end of the list is reached.
The odd and even phases are alternated until no more swaps are made during a complete iteration of both phases. At this point, the list is considered sorted.
The brick sort algorithm has a time complexity of O(n^2) in the worst case, where n is the number of elements in the list. However, it can perform better than other quadratic sorting algorithms like bubble sort or selection sort in certain cases, especially when the list is nearly sorted or has a small number of inversions.