Quicksort Algorithm Overview

Flashcards covering key concepts and details about the Quicksort algorithm, including its partition function, time complexity, worst and best-case scenarios, and general characteristics of sorting algorithms.

What is the role of the partition function in Quicksort?

The partition function chooses a pivot key and rearranges the list so that everything to the left of the pivot is less than the pivot and everything to the right is greater.

What is the time complexity of the partition function in Quicksort?

The time complexity of the partition function is O(n).

What does the best-case scenario for Quicksort imply?

In the best case, choosing the median as the pivot results in sublists that are half the length, leading to a time complexity of O(n log n).

What is the worst-case scenario for Quicksort?

The worst case occurs when the smallest or largest element is consistently chosen as the pivot, resulting in a time complexity of O(n^2).

What does 'average case' mean in the context of Quicksort?

The average case means that for a list of length n, the pivot has a probability of ending up at each index, leading to an expected time complexity of O(n log n).

What is the auxiliary space requirement in the best case for Quicksort?

In the best case, the auxiliary space requirement is O(log n).

Can we create a sorting algorithm with a worst-case time complexity better than O(n log n)?

No, for any comparison-based sorting algorithm, the worst-case time complexity will never be better than O(n log n).

What is a characteristic of stable sorting algorithms?

Stable sorting algorithms maintain the relative order of records with equal keys.