Understanding Insertion Sort
Insertion sort is a simple and efficient comparison-based sorting algorithm. In this method, the list is virtually split into a sorted and an unsorted part. Elements from the unsorted part are picked and placed at the correct position in the sorted part. 🐸
Here's a step-by-step guide to see how it works:
- Start with the first element; it's considered sorted.
- Take the next element and scan backwards through the sorted section to find its position.
- Insert the element at the correct position.
- Repeat for all elements.
Advantages and Usage
Insertion sort is beneficial for small datasets and is used in situations where the dataset is almost sorted because it has an efficient average case of O(n^2) but performs well with a high level of efficiency when nearly sorted.
For a more interactive introduction, check out our interactive sorting demo! 🎉