Intro Sort Visualization

What is Introsort?

Introsort or Introspective sort is the generic sorting algorithm used in the C++ standard library. It is a hybrid sorting algorithm that uses Insertion sort, Quick sort and Heap sort to maximize efficiency. 

Introsort or introspective sort is a hybrid sorting algorithm that provides both fast average performance and (asymptotically) optimal worst-case performance. It begins with quicksort, it switches to heapsort when the recursion depth exceeds a level based on (the logarithm of) the number of elements being sorted and it switches to insertion sort when the number of elements is below some threshold. This combines the good parts of the three algorithms, with practical performance comparable to quicksort on typical data sets and worst-case O(n log n) runtime due to the heap sort. Since the three algorithms it uses are comparison sorts, it is also a comparison sort.

Introsort Data Structures

Introsort as a hybrid sorting algorithm employs three sorting algorithms to reduce the amount of time needed to run, Quicksort, Heapsort, and Insertion Sort

Simply put, it's the most efficient sorting algorithm available. It is a hybrid sorting algorithm which means that it utilizes several sorting algorithms as a routine.

Introsort starts with quicksort. If the recursion's depth goes beyond a specific limit.It shifts to Heapsort to prevent Quicksort's worst situation O(N2) complexity of time.

Intro sort is among the most efficient comparison sorting algorithms currently in use and is the most common implementation of the std:sort algorithm, which is part of C++ STL. C++ STL.

Sorting Stability

A sorting system is the capacity of the algorithm to preserve the initial order of equal elements following sorting. An unstable sorting algorithm has no assurance that the order in which equal elements of the array that is not sorted remains the same following sorting. In contrast, an algorithm that is stable guarantees they will stay the same.