Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC2100 C949 Data Structures and Algorithms I Practice Exam

Question: 1 / 400

Which sorting algorithm is known for selecting a 'pivot' element?

Bubble sort

Merge sort

Quicksort

Quicksort is a highly efficient sorting algorithm that utilizes the concept of a 'pivot' element as a key aspect of its sorting process. In this algorithm, the pivot is chosen from the array elements, and the other elements are rearranged into two partitions: those less than the pivot and those greater than the pivot. This process is recursive, meaning that quicksort will repeatedly select new pivots and partition the subarrays until the entire array is sorted.

The selection of a pivot is crucial as it significantly impacts the performance of the algorithm; ideally, a good pivot will lead to evenly sized partitions, resulting in optimal efficiency. Quicksort has an average time complexity of O(n log n), making it faster than various other sorting algorithms for large datasets in most practical applications.

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Insertion sort

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