Same input, honest measurements
Compare strategies, not animation speed.
Compare sorting algorithms on identical data using instrumented comparisons, writes, swaps, memory, stability, and scenario-based guidance.
| Algorithm | Best | Average | Worst | Space | Stable | In-place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble Sort | O(n) | O(n²) | O(n²) | O(1) | Yes | Yes |
| Selection Sort | O(n²) | O(n²) | O(n²) | O(1) | No | Yes |
| Insertion Sort | O(n) | O(n²) | O(n²) | O(1) | Yes | Yes |
| Gnome Sort | O(n) | O(n²) | O(n²) | O(1) | Yes | Yes |
| Cocktail Shaker Sort | O(n) | O(n²) | O(n²) | O(1) | Yes | Yes |
| Merge Sort | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(n) | Yes | No |
| Quick Sort | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(n²) | O(log n) avg.; O(n) worst | No | Yes |
| Heap Sort | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(1) | No | Yes |
| Shell Sort | O(n log n) | Gap-dependent | O(n²) | O(1) | No | Yes |
| Comb Sort | O(n log n) | About O(n²) | O(n²) | O(1) | No | Yes |
| Smoothsort | O(n) | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(1) | No | Yes |
| Counting Sort | O(n + k) | O(n + k) | O(n + k) | O(n + k) | Yes | No |
| Radix Sort | O(d(n + b)) | O(d(n + b)) | O(d(n + b)) | O(n + b) | Yes | No |
| Bucket Sort | O(n + k) | O(n + k) | O(n²) | O(n + k) | Depends | No |
| Timsort | O(n) | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(n) | Yes | No |
| Introsort | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(n log n) | O(log n) | No | Yes |
| Bogo Sort | O(n) | O(n × n!) | Unbounded | O(1) | No | Yes |
| Sleep Sort | O(n) setup | O(max value) wait | Scheduler-dependent | O(n) | No | No |
The interactive comparison lab runs three algorithms on one shared deck and adds filters, scenario guidance, and a complexity-growth experiment.