Sorting Algorithms

Question 1

What is the merge sort?

Answer 1

A sorting algorithm that is more efficient than bubble sort.

Question 2

What is the first step in the merge sort algorithm?

Answer 2

Divide the unsorted list into n sublists, each containing one element.

Question 3

What is the second step in the merge sort algorithm?

Answer 3

Repeatedly merge two sublists at a time to produce new sorted sublists until there is only one sublist remaining.

Question 4

True or False: Merge sort produces a sorted list by repeatedly merging sublists.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Fill in the blank: Merge sort is much more efficient than _______.

Answer 5

bubble sort

Question 6

What is the main operation performed in a bubble sort?

Answer 6

Each pair of items are compared and if the first one is greater, the items swap.

This process continues until the entire list is sorted.

Question 7

What happens after one pass of bubble sort?

Answer 7

The last item will be in place.

This means that the largest item has been moved to its correct position.

Question 8

How many passes are needed to sort n items in bubble sort?

Answer 8

The maximum number of passes is n - 1.

This accounts for the worst-case scenario where each item needs to be compared with every other item.

Question 9

What additional variable is needed to swap two items in programming?

Answer 9

An extra ‘temp’ variable.

This variable temporarily holds one item during the swap process.

Question 10

What Boolean variable is used in bubble sort?

Answer 10

A Boolean variable to check if any swaps had been made in that pass.

This helps to determine if the list is already sorted.

Question 11

Fill in the blank: In a bubble sort, after two passes, the last _______ items will be sorted.

Answer 11

two

Each pass places at least one more item in its correct position.