Selection Sort Visualization

Selection Sort finds the smallest remaining value and swaps it to the front, again and again.

How it works

Selection Sort scans the unsorted part of the list to find its smallest value, then swaps it into the first unsorted position. The sorted part grows by one each pass.

It always does about n²/2 comparisons, even on sorted input, so it is one of the slower sorts here. Its one strength is that it makes at most n − 1 swaps, which matters when writing to memory is expensive. It is not stable, because the swap can jump a value over others equal to it.

What to watch for

Watch the long scan sweep across the unsorted part every pass, then one value jumps to the front of it.

Complexity

Best

n²

Average

n²

Worst

n²

Extra space

1

Stable

No

Race it

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

FAQ