Insertion Sort: Commonly used sorting algorithm in C programming

 

In C programming, sorting refers to the process of arranging elements in a specific order. The most common sorting order is ascending or descending numerical order, but elements can also be sorted based on other criteria, such as alphabetical order, frequency, or any custom-defined comparison.

Sorting is a fundamental algorithmic operation and is widely used in various applications, such as searching, data analysis, and optimization. There are several sorting algorithms available in C programming, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The choice of sorting algorithm depends on the size of the data, the distribution of the data, and the specific requirements of the application.

Let's discuss three commonly used Insertion Sort algorithm in C programming:

3. Insertion Sort:
   Insertion Sort is an efficient algorithm for sorting a small number of elements. It builds the final sorted array one item at a time, by repeatedly inserting elements into the sorted part of the array.

Example implementation of Insertion Sort in C:

c
#include <stdio.h>

void insertionSort(int arr[], int n) {
    int i, key, j;
    for (i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        key = arr[i];
        j = i - 1;

        while (j >= 0 && arr[j] > key) {
            arr[j + 1] = arr[j];
            j = j - 1;
        }
        arr[j + 1] = key;
    }
}

int main() {
    int arr[] = {64, 34, 25, 12, 22, 11, 90};
    int n = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]);

    printf("Original array: ");
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        printf("%d ", arr[i]);
    }

    insertionSort(arr, n);

    printf("\nSorted array: ");
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        printf("%d ", arr[i]);
    }

    return 0;
}

Each of the sorting algorithms has its own complexity, and their performance can vary depending on the input data. For larger datasets or more advanced sorting requirements, other algorithms like Merge Sort, Quick Sort, or Heap Sort might be more suitable. Nonetheless, these simple examples should give you a good starting point for understanding sorting in C programming.