13.3. Recursive Merge Sort

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is the time complexity of Merge Sort?

   Hint

   Consider both the splitting and merging steps.

2. 2.

   What kind of problem-solving technique does Merge Sort utilize?

   Hint

   Think about how the algorithm processes data.

3. 3.

   What is the time complexity of Merge Sort in the average case?

   • O(n)
   • O(n log n)
   • O(n^2)

   Hint

   Think about how many times the array is split and how merging affects complexity.

4. 4.

   True or False: Merge Sort is an in-place sorting algorithm.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Consider how the algorithm combines sorted arrays.

5. 5.

   Create a visual representation of Merge Sort processing using the array [45, 25, 15, 5, 35]. Show each split and merge step.

   Hint

   Focus on showing the recursive splitting and merging clearly.

6. 6.

   Analyze the effect of different input sizes on the efficiency of Merge Sort. What happens with sorted vs. unsorted vs. reverse sorted arrays?

   Hint

   Consider how the sorted nature influences the operations during merging.