How Counting Sort Works
Counting Sort works by creating a count array that stores the number of occurrences of each element in the input array. The count array is initialized with all zeros. Then, for each element in the input array, the corresponding index in the count array is incremented by one. This step counts the number of occurrences of each element.
Next, the count array is modified so that each element at index i contains the sum of the previous counts. This step helps determine the correct position of each element in the sorted output array. By the end of this step, the count array represents the starting index of each element in the sorted output array.
Finally, a new output array is created with the same size as the input array. The elements from the input array are iterated in reverse order. For each element, its position in the output array is determined using the count array. The element is then placed in the correct position in the output array, and the count array is decremented by one for that element.
After iterating through all the elements in the input array, the output array contains the sorted elements. Counting Sort has a time complexity of O(n + k), where n is the number of elements in the input array and k is the range of input values.
How Counting Sort Works
Counting Sort works by creating a count array that stores the number of occurrences of each element in the input array. The count array is initialized with all zeros. Then, for each element in the input array, the corresponding index in the count array is incremented by one. This step counts the number of occurrences of each element.
Next, the count array is modified so that each element at index i contains the sum of the previous counts. This step helps determine the correct position of each element in the sorted output array. By the end of this step, the count array represents the starting index of each element in the sorted output array.
Finally, a new output array is created with the same size as the input array. The elements from the input array are iterated in reverse order. For each element, its position in the output array is determined using the count array. The element is then placed in the correct position in the output array, and the count array is decremented by one for that element.
After iterating through all the elements in the input array, the output array contains the sorted elements. Counting Sort has a time complexity of O(n + k), where n is the number of elements in the input array and k is the range of input values.
Use Cases for Counting Sort
Counting Sort is particularly useful when the range of input values is small compared to the number of elements to be sorted. It is often used as a subroutine in other sorting algorithms, such as Radix Sort. Counting Sort is also efficient when the input array contains a large number of duplicate elements.
One common use case for Counting Sort is when sorting an array of integers with a limited range, such as grades in a classroom or ages of people in a population. In such cases, Counting Sort can provide a fast and efficient solution.
Another use case for Counting Sort is sorting strings or characters. Although Counting Sort is typically used for sorting integers, it can be adapted to work with other data types as well. For example, the ASCII values of characters can be used as input for Counting Sort.
In summary, Counting Sort is a linear sorting algorithm that works by counting the number of occurrences of each unique element in the input array. It is efficient when the range of input values is small compared to the number of elements to be sorted. Counting Sort has a time complexity of O(n + k) and can be used in various use cases, such as sorting integers or characters with a limited range.
How Counting Sort Works
Counting Sort operates in three main steps:
1. Counting: It counts the number of occurrences of each unique element in the input array and stores this information in an auxiliary array called the “count” array. During this step, Counting Sort scans the entire input array and increments the count of each element encountered. For example, if the input array is [4, 2, 3, 2, 1], the count array would be [0, 1, 2, 1, 1] after the counting step. The index of the count array represents the element, and the value at that index represents the count of that element.
2. Accumulating: It modifies the count array to store the cumulative sum of the counts. This step helps determine the correct position of each element in the sorted output array. The accumulated count array would be [0, 1, 3, 4, 5] for the previous example. Each element in the accumulated count array represents the number of elements that are less than or equal to the corresponding index.
3. Sorting: It iterates through the input array and uses the count array to determine the position of each element in the sorted output array. It also updates the count array to account for duplicate elements. In this step, Counting Sort creates a new output array of the same size as the input array. Starting from the last element of the input array, Counting Sort accesses the count array to determine the correct position of the element in the output array. For example, if the current element is 2, the count array at index 2 will be decremented, and the element will be placed at index 1 in the output array. This process continues until all elements have been sorted. The final sorted output array would be [1, 2, 2, 3, 4] for the previous example.
Counting Sort is efficient when the range of input elements is small compared to the size of the input array. It has a time complexity of O(n+k), where n is the number of elements in the input array and k is the range of input elements. However, Counting Sort requires additional space for the count and output arrays, making it less suitable for large input arrays or when the range of elements is significantly larger than the number of elements. Despite its limitations, Counting Sort is a stable sorting algorithm, meaning it preserves the relative order of elements with equal values. Now that we have successfully sorted the input array using Counting Sort, let’s take a closer look at how this algorithm works. Counting Sort is a non-comparison based sorting algorithm that works best when the range of input elements is small compared to the size of the input array. It has a time complexity of O(n+k), where n is the number of elements in the input array and k is the range of input elements.
In the first step of Counting Sort, we create a count array to store the count of each unique element in the input array. This count array acts as a frequency table, where the index represents the element and the value represents the count. In our example, the count array initially had all elements set to 0. As we iterate through the input array, we increment the count of each element in the count array. This step ensures that we have an accurate count of each element in the input array.
Once we have the count array, we move on to the second step of Counting Sort, which is accumulating. In this step, we modify the count array to store the cumulative sum of the counts. This cumulative sum helps us determine the correct position of each element in the sorted output array. By adding up the counts from left to right in the count array, we ensure that each element in the sorted output array appears in the correct order.
Finally, in the third step of Counting Sort, we iterate through the input array once again. This time, we use the count array to determine the position of each element in the sorted output array. We also update the count array to account for duplicate elements. By accessing the count array at the index corresponding to the current element in the input array, we can determine its correct position in the sorted output array. After placing each element in its correct position, we decrement the count in the count array to account for duplicates.
In the end, we obtain the sorted output array, which in our example is [1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 6, 7]. Counting Sort is a stable sorting algorithm, which means that it preserves the relative order of elements with equal values. This makes it useful in certain scenarios where preserving the original order is important.
Overall, Counting Sort is a simple and efficient sorting algorithm for arrays with a small range of input elements. It avoids the overhead of comparison-based sorting algorithms and can be faster in certain cases. However, it does require additional memory for the count array, which can be a limitation when dealing with large input arrays or a large range of input elements.
Analysis of Counting Sort
Counting Sort is a linear time sorting algorithm that is most efficient when the range of input values is small compared to the number of elements to be sorted. With a time complexity of O(n + k), where n is the number of elements in the input array and k is the range of input values, Counting Sort offers a stable sorting solution.
One of the key advantages of Counting Sort is its ability to preserve the relative order of equal elements in the sorted output, making it a stable sorting algorithm. This characteristic is particularly useful in scenarios where maintaining the original order of equal elements is crucial.
However, it is important to note that Counting Sort does have its limitations. It is not suitable for sorting large numbers or floating-point numbers due to the requirement of having a small range of input values. When the range of input values is large, the count array used by Counting Sort can consume a significant amount of extra space, which can be a limitation in memory-constrained environments.
Despite these limitations, Counting Sort shines in certain scenarios. Its linear time complexity makes it faster than comparison-based sorting algorithms like Merge Sort or Quick Sort in some cases. Counting Sort is particularly useful when the input array contains many duplicate elements, as it can efficiently group and sort these elements.
In conclusion, Counting Sort is a simple and efficient algorithm for sorting arrays with a small range of input values. Its ability to maintain the relative order of equal elements, coupled with its linear time complexity, make it a valuable sorting solution in specific scenarios. However, it is important to consider the limitations of Counting Sort, such as its inability to handle large numbers or floating-point numbers, as well as its requirement for extra space when dealing with a large range of input values.