Radix Sort Visualization

Radix Sort sorts numbers digit by digit, from the least significant digit up, without comparing values.

How it works

Radix Sort never compares two values. It distributes the numbers into buckets by their last digit, collects them in bucket order, then repeats with the next digit. Because each pass is stable, after the last digit the list is fully sorted. This version uses base 4, so each pass looks at two bits.

The work is n × the number of digits, which beats n log n when the keys are short. It needs extra memory for the buckets, works on integers or fixed-length keys, and is stable.

What to watch for

Watch the colours regroup into a few repeating bands on each pass; on the last pass, the bands line up into one rainbow.

Complexity

Best

n·k

Average

n·k

Worst

n·k

Extra space

n + b

Stable

Yes

Race it

Same shuffle, same speed, one winner: Radix vs Quick. Or open the studio to try other layouts, sizes and speeds, and make a video of it.

FAQ