Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #7521

Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly

Date	2011-09-01 03:50 -0700
From	Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject	Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly
References	<86c4a53b-1ca1-48a8-b954-c01bd449278a@s35g2000prm.googlegroups.com> <j3mupc$d5m$1@dont-email.me> <gjku571et7noqso1klnuk6n3m932mvh75e@4ax.com>
Message-ID	<euSdnVIT3csP_sLTnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@earthlink.com> (permalink)

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On 9/1/2011 2:38 AM, Roedy Green wrote:
> On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:39:09 -0700, markspace<-@.>  wrote, quoted or
> indirectly quoted someone who said :
>
>>
>> Pfft.  No.  Theoretical maximum speed of a sort is something like n
>> log n.  The only data you can sort in n time is data that's already
>> sorted.

The proof of the n log n minimum only applies to comparison sorts.

> see http://mindprod.com/jgloss/radixsort.html
>
> Surely you remember mechanical card sorters. They did precisely
> that.

If I had needed to sort twelve punch cards, I would have done it by
hand, in far less time than it would have taken to walk from my desk to
a mechanical sorter. Fortunately, I never had a desk in same room as a
card sorter. For small problems, overhead time is far more important
than asymptotic behavior.

Patricia

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Thread

Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly KevinSimonson <kvnsmnsn@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-31 19:48 -0700
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly markspace <-@.> - 2011-08-31 20:39 -0700
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> - 2011-09-01 09:18 +0100
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-09-01 02:38 -0700
      Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-09-01 03:50 -0700
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2011-09-11 23:14 +0200
      Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-11 17:53 -0400
        Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2011-09-12 01:40 +0200
          Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-11 20:32 -0400
          Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-09-11 21:10 -0400
            Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-09-11 20:30 -0700
              Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-09-12 19:13 -0400
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-09-12 17:42 -0700
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-12 21:24 -0400
          Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-09-12 10:57 -0700
            Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-09-12 19:01 -0400
              Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-12 21:29 -0400
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly markspace <-@.> - 2011-09-12 19:49 -0700
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-09-12 21:51 -0700
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Joshua Cranmer <Pidgeot18@verizon.invalid> - 2011-09-13 11:32 -0500
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-09-13 21:51 -0400
                Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-09-13 06:33 -0700
              Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-09-13 09:48 -0700
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-01 00:25 -0400
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-01 00:54 -0400
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> - 2011-09-01 09:20 +0100
      Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-09-01 08:06 -0400
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-09-01 02:43 -0700
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2011-09-01 08:32 +0200
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly RedGrittyBrick <RedGrittyBrick@spamweary.invalid> - 2011-09-01 10:08 +0100
    Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-09-01 04:02 -0700
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-09-01 02:37 -0700
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-09-01 04:53 -0700
  Re: Using Java Classes to Sort a Small Array Quickly Joshua Cranmer <Pidgeot18@verizon.invalid> - 2011-09-01 09:05 -0500

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