Question

Does sorting an array reduce our search time? Explain your answer with examples.

Answer 1

Answer: Sorting of data is a process involves arranging the data some meaningful order to make it easier to understand, analyze or visualize. It is important for programming for the same reason it is important in our daily life. It makes easier and faster to locate any items in sorted list than unsorted list. In programming some algorithms of searching can not be implement on unsorted array. There it is must to do sorting.eg. Binary search. Here we took a simple non-programming example to undeerstand this:- Country Population Sweden Country Population 42M India 1m Australia 23M Australia 23m France 21M Sweden 42m Iran 11M France 21m India 1M Iran 11m This is just basic operation of sorting, consider these tables which has two columns one for Country, other for Population. Country is text field and Popu lation is numeric field. The table on the left shows original data which is not sorted and right table showing sorted data that is sorted by decreasing/descending order population. Here first row in sorted table is showing highest population and 2nd second highest and so on and last one minimum population. If we want to search a country which has highest population. If you did not sort this table , you have to search in all data blindly, it will take much time but in sorted data you can find easily because you know your table is sorted descending order and first row will show highest population, you don't need to search all data. This allows the read to easily understand the order of countries without compare values. In term of programmimg, suppose we have 2 arrays like this only, we arranged or sorted descending order array, then you execute search algorithm, program will find at 1* position and print population Second example- Search 23 C 1 2 8 72 2 5 12 16 23 38 56 91 L-0 1 2 M-4 H-9 72 16 5 12 23 38 56 91 23>16 take 2nd half M 7 O 1 A L-5 6 23 38 56 7. 91 23>56 take 1* half 0 4 L-S,M-5 H-6 56 38 Found -23 return S

In this example you can understand easily. We have an sorted array and want to an element in array. We don't know where is it? Sorting algorithms has its own techniques based on them they search. Here an array is numeric type and sorted ascending order. If we enter a value, then it find the mid point in array, by mid point value it will compare with this if value is greater than it will find in one half if less than then in other half. Finally found a value. In this process it will not take much time. Otherwise you have unsorted array it will compare with all values from [0] position if value is matched then return it will take much time. If value is in last it willl have to compare all values then it will find In Sorted array values are arranged in an order. You can find easily without wasting your time. Many examples are here just like this. Suppose we have an array of string which stored student's name. You want to search a name that starts with letter 'B'. if you will search i an unsorted array, it will compare that name with all student's name. It will take much time. If you have sorted it alphabetically it will go. B series and easily find name. Here I am just telling orally but concept is same programmatically. Hopefully you understand the concept