sorting algorithms explained visually

sure! sorting algorithms are a fundamental concept in computer science, used to rearrange elements in a list or array into a specified order, typically ascending or descending. below, i'll provide an overview of a few popular sorting algorithms along with visual explanations and code examples in python.

1. bubble sort

**description:**
bubble sort is a simple sorting algorithm that repeatedly steps through the list, compares adjacent elements, and swaps them if they are in the wrong order. the pass through the list is repeated until the list is sorted.

**visual explanation:**

```
[5, 3, 8, 4, 2]
step 1: compare 5 and 3 - swap
[3, 5, 8, 4, 2]
step 2: compare 5 and 8 - no swap
[3, 5, 8, 4, 2]
step 3: compare 8 and 4 - swap
[3, 5, 4, 8, 2]
step 4: compare 8 and 2 - swap
[3, 5, 4, 2, 8]
...
```

**code example:**

```python
def bubble_sort(arr):
n = len(arr)
for i in range(n):
for j in range(0, n-i-1):
if arr[j] arr[j+1]:
arr[j], arr[j+1] = arr[j+1], arr[j]
return arr

example usage
arr = [5, 3, 8, 4, 2]
sorted_arr = bubble_sort(arr)
print(sorted_arr) output: [2, 3, 4, 5, 8]
```

---

2. selection sort

**description:**
selection sort divides the input list into two parts: a sorted part and an unsorted part. it repeatedly selects the smallest (or largest) element from the unsorted part and moves it to the end of the sorted part.

**visual explanation:**

```
[5, 3, 8, 4, 2]
step 1: find the minimum (2) and swap with the first element
[2, 3, 8, 4, 5]
step 2: find the next minimum (3) and swap (no change)
...
```

**code example:**

```python
def selection_sort(arr):
n = len(arr)
for i in range(n):
min_idx = i
for j in range(i+1, n):
if arr[j] arr[min_idx]:
min_idx = j
arr[i], arr[min_idx] = arr[min_idx], arr[i]
return arr

example usage
arr = [5, 3, 8, 4, 2]
sorted_arr = selection_sort(arr)
print(sorted_arr) output: [2, 3, 4, 5, 8]
```

---

...

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