Mastering Algorithms: Essential Questions to Understand the Gist of Sorting Algorithm

Algorithms can be difficult to understand and the sheer number of algorithms out there can be overwhelming. So how can you get a handle on the world of algorithms which will help you crack interviews?

Here we will discuss a set of essential questions that can help you get the gist of any algorithm. These questions are designed to give you a framework for understanding the basic principles behind algorithms, regardless of their complexity or domain.

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, these questions will help you better understand how algorithms work and what they can do. So let’s dive in and start mastering the world of algorithms!

Let’s get started

Searching algorithms

Searching algorithms are used to find a specific value or set of values in a collection of data, such as an array or a database.

You can find its detail here :

Mastering Algorithms: Essential Questions to Understand the Gist of Searching Algorithm

Sorting algorithms

Sorting algorithms arrange data in a specific order, typically in ascending or descending order. Sorting algorithms are widely used in computer science, and they play a critical role in the efficient organization and retrieval of data. Some examples of applications of sorting algorithms include database indexing, search algorithms, and data compression.

Quicksort

This is a popular divide-and-conquer algorithm that is known for its efficiency and speed. It has an average case time complexity of O(n log n), making it one of the fastest sorting algorithms.

A few questions asked frequently in interviews :

1. Sort Colors — Medium
2. Kth Largest Element in an Array — Medium
3. Sort an Array — Medium
4. Wiggle Sort II — Medium
5. Find K Pairs with Smallest Sums — Medium

Merge sort

This algorithm is also a divide-and-conquer approach that is often used for sorting large data sets. It has a time complexity of O(n log n) and is known for its stability.

And here are some of the top LeetCode interview questions related to merge sort

1. Merge Intervals (Medium):
2. Sort List (Medium)
3. Count of Smaller Numbers After Self (Hard):

Heap Sort

This is another divide-and-conquer algorithm that is often used for sorting large data sets. It has a time complexity of O(n log n) and is known for its efficiency and stability.

Heap sort is a common sorting algorithm used in various applications, such as sorting large datasets, finding kth largest/smallest element, and solving scheduling problems. Understanding how to implement and use heap sort efficiently can be useful in technical interviews and software engineering roles that involve dealing with large amounts of data.

Here are some top interview questions for heap sort along with their name, difficulty, and leetcode link:

1. Sort an Array — Medium
2. Kth Largest Element in an Array — Medium
3. Top K Frequent Elements — Medium
4. Sort Characters By Frequency — Medium
5. Meeting Rooms II — Medium

Bubble sort

This is a simple sorting algorithm that is often used for educational purposes. It has a time complexity of O(n²) and is not typically used in production environments due to its inefficiency.

Bubble sort is a simple sorting algorithm that repeatedly swaps adjacent elements if they are in the wrong order. It is not a very efficient algorithm and is mostly used for educational purposes.

Here is an example of a top interview question asked about Bubble Sort:

Name: Sort Colors

Difficulty: Medium

Bubble sort is not commonly asked about in interviews for software engineering roles, as there are more efficient sorting algorithms that are preferred, such as Quick Sort and Merge Sort.

Insertion sort

This algorithm is another simple sorting method that is often used for small data sets. It has a time complexity of O(n²) and is not as efficient as other sorting algorithms for larger data sets.

Insertion sort is a simple sorting algorithm that works by building the final sorted array one item at a time. It is efficient for small data sets, but can be slow for large data sets. Here’s an example of a top interview question for Insertion sort:

Name: Insertion Sort List

Difficulty: Medium

I hope this might have helped you.

There are a lot more algorithms that we all need to discuss.

• Dynamic Programming algorithms
• Graph algorithms
• String algorithms
• Tree algorithms
• Backtracking algorithms
• Two Pointer algorithms and many more

We will discuss this in the coming blog till then let’s become pros with searching algorithms and for more algorithms follow and stay tuned and receive emails for updates :)

There are a couple of books written that can help you more. Refer to Best Books for Data Structures and Algorithms 2023