16.1.4. Worst Case Scenario

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is the time complexity of Quicksort in the best case?

   Hint

   Think about how the pivots help in dividing the array.

2. 2.

   What happens when you choose the last element as a pivot in a sorted array?

   Hint

   Consider how many elements go to the left and right of the pivot.

3. 3.

   What is the worst-case time complexity of Quicksort?

   • O(n)
   • O(n log n)
   • O(n^2)

   Hint

   Think about the implications of pivot choices.

4. 4.

   True or False: Randomizing the pivot in Quicksort guarantees O(n log n) performance.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Recall the benefits of randomness in algorithms.

5. 5.

   Consider an array that is initially sorted in descending order. What would happen if you always choose the first element as your pivot?

   Hint

   Think about what choosing extremes means for partitioning.

6. 6.

   Suppose you implement Quicksort with deterministic pivot selection. How might this change the expected time complexity on average inputs?

   Hint

   Explore why choices matter in terms of input configuration.