
Sorting Algorithm

This is a sorting algorithm.   It may be applied to a set of data in order to sort it.    
For comparing various sorts, see compare sorts.  
For other sorting algorithms,   see sorting algorithms,   or:

O(n logn) sorts
Heap sort |
Merge sort |
Patience sort |
Quick sort
O(n log2n) sorts
Shell Sort
O(n2) sorts
Bubble sort |
Cocktail sort |
Cocktail sort with shifting bounds |
Comb sort |
Cycle sort |
Gnome sort |
Insertion sort |
Selection sort |
Strand sort
other sorts
Bead sort |
Bogo sort |
Common sorted list |
Composite structures sort |
Custom comparator sort |
Counting sort |
Disjoint sublist sort |
External sort |
Jort sort |
Lexicographical sort |
Natural sorting |
Order by pair comparisons |
Order disjoint list items |
Order two numerical lists |
Object identifier (OID) sort |
Pancake sort |
Quickselect |
Permutation sort |
Radix sort |
Ranking methods |
Remove duplicate elements |
Sleep sort |
Stooge sort |
[Sort letters of a string] |
Three variable sort |
Topological sort |
Tree sort


Use the quickselect algorithm on the vector

 [9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
To show the first, second, third, ... up to the tenth largest member of the vector, in order, here on this page.

 Note: Quicksort has a separate task. 


import random
 
def partition(vector, left, right, pivotIndex):
    pivotValue = vector[pivotIndex]
    vector[pivotIndex], vector[right] = vector[right], vector[pivotIndex]  # Move pivot to end
    storeIndex = left
    for i in range(left, right):
        if vector[i] < pivotValue:
            vector[storeIndex], vector[i] = vector[i], vector[storeIndex]
            storeIndex += 1
    vector[right], vector[storeIndex] = vector[storeIndex], vector[right]  # Move pivot to its final place
    return storeIndex
 
def _select(vector, left, right, k):
    "Returns the k-th smallest, (k >= 0), element of vector within vector[left:right+1] inclusive."
    while True:
        pivotIndex = random.randint(left, right)     # select pivotIndex between left and right
        pivotNewIndex = partition(vector, left, right, pivotIndex)
        pivotDist = pivotNewIndex - left
        if pivotDist == k:
            return vector[pivotNewIndex]
        elif k < pivotDist:
            right = pivotNewIndex - 1
        else:
            k -= pivotDist + 1
            left = pivotNewIndex + 1
 
def select(vector, k, left=None, right=None):
    """\
    Returns the k-th smallest, (k >= 0), element of vector within vector[left:right+1].
    left, right default to (0, len(vector) - 1) if omitted
    """
    if left is None:
        left = 0
    lv1 = len(vector) - 1
    if right is None:
        right = lv1
    assert vector and k >= 0, "Either null vector or k < 0 "
    assert 0 <= left <= lv1, "left is out of range"
    assert left <= right <= lv1, "right is out of range"
    return _select(vector, left, right, k)
 
if __name__ == '__main__':
    v = [9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
    print([select(v, i) for i in range(10)])