11.1.3. Illustration of Selection Sort

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is the first step in selection sort?

   Hint

   Think about how selection sort identifies which element to place first.

2. 2.

   Explain what is meant by 'in-place sorting'.

   Hint

   Consider how the elements are rearranged during sorting.

3. 3.

   What is the first action taken by the selection sort algorithm?

   • Find the largest element
   • Find the smallest element
   • Sort the array
   • None of the above

   Hint

   Think about what selection sort establishes as the first step.

4. 4.

   Selection sort is considered an in-place algorithm.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Recall the definition of in-place algorithms.

5. 5.

   Demonstrate how selection sort behaves on an array with all elements the same, e.g., [3, 3, 3, 3]. What will the process look like?

   Hint

   Think about what happens when the minimum element is always equal to the current element.

6. 6.

   Modify the selection sort algorithm to sort in descending order. What changes are required?

   Hint

   Consider how the definitions of 'smallest' and 'largest' affect the approach.