How to use this chapter
This chapter is going to focus on sorting and sorting algorithms. Sorting is one of many applications for algorithms. Sorting is a very important concept but as you work through this chapter, think of sorting as a catalyst for learning algorithms.
As we will see in the upcoming section, there are countless sorting algorithms and new algorithms are being invented all the time. This means that not every single sorting algorithm will be covered in this book. Learning algorithms is less about memorizing the actual algorithm and more about learning the mechanics of algorithms in general. So, as you work through this chapter, try not to focus on memorizing the algorithms presented and focus more on the core theory presented. Therefore, let’s start off with learning what sorting is.