Sorting in Linear Time — Counting Sort, Radix Sort, and Bucket Sort Explained | Chapter 8 of Intro to Algorithms
Sorting in Linear Time — Counting Sort, Radix Sort, and Bucket Sort Explained | Chapter 8 of Intro to Algorithms While traditional comparison-based sorts like quicksort and mergesort are limited by a lower bound of Ω(n log n), Chapter 8 of introduction to algorithms introduces a set of ingenious algorithms that can sort in linear time under specific conditions. By making assumptions about the input domain or distribution, counting sort, radix sort, and bucket sort break the speed barrier of comparison sorts and become essential tools for specialized high-performance applications. Want a clear audio breakdown? Watch the chapter summary below, and subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for more practical, podcast-style guides to every chapter of introduction to algorithms . Why Comparison Sorts Hit a Limit Comparison sorts like merge sort, heapsort, and quicksort fundamentally rely on comparing elements to determine order. Decision trees, which model these comparisons, must ha...