Merge Sort

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sort is a widely used ing algorithm that has a of Ο(n logn). It is a algorithm that follows the approach. The key step in is the , which combines two sorted sub-arrays into a single sorted array.

The merge function is crucial for the , an implementation of Merge sort that aims to minimize the use of additional memory. ing algorithms are advantageous in terms of as they do not require extra space proportional to the input size. However, in-place merge sort achieves this at the cost of additional and .

The time complexity of Merge sort is linearithmic, which means it grows in a non-linear, but not quadratic, fashion. The is commonly used to express the time complexity of algorithms and Merge sort has a Ο(n logn) time complexity in both average and worst-case scenarios.

Merge sort is a , meaning that it maintains the relative order of equal elements in the input sequence. This stability is preserved through the recursive nature of the algorithm.

plays a significant role in Merge sort, as the algorithm divides the input array into smaller sub-arrays until each sub-array consists of a single element. Then, the algorithm recursively merges these sub-arrays back together until the entire array is sorted.

The space complexity of Merge sort is dependent on the implementation. In the in-place merge sort, since the merging happens in-place, the space complexity is Ο(n). However, in the , where extra memory is allocated for merging, the space complexity is Ο(n logn).

To better understand the steps involved in Merge sort, let's take a look at the :

In summary, Merge sort is an efficient and stable sorting algorithm with a . Its recursive nature, along with the merge function, allows it to divide the input array, sort the smaller sub-arrays, and merge them back together to obtain the final sorted array.

Keywords

merge function | big-o notation | comparison-based sort | divide and conquer | stable sort | merge sort | space complexity | pseudocode | in-place sort | merge | time complexity | in-place merge sort | recursive | linearithmic time complexity | out-of-place sort | recursion | swaps | comparisons | average case |