Assignment 4

This assignment is worth 35 points.

Implement a framework for testing a number of sorting algorithms. Use this framework to test several sorting algorithms. By doing this assignment you should

• Developed a testbed for examining the empirical efficiency of sorting algorithms.
• Implemented several sorting algorithms.
• Experienced collecting and interpreting data related to the empirical performance of algorithms.

• Generate a randomized array of a given size.
• Call each sorting algorithm on the array, and record the system time consumed.
• Check the results of the sort algorithm to assure
  • The final array is sorted.
  • The elements in the sorted array match those of the original array.

Once your framework is established, you should test each sorting routine ten times various sizes of input.

Implement the Selection sort and Bubble sort presented in section 3.1 and use your framework to determine an empirical performance of these sorts. Make a third sort by implementing the suggestion in problem 12 page 103 and test this sort as well.

Produce a report which

• Describes each of the sorts tested.
• Describes the conditions of the test.
• Describes the relative performance of the three sorts.
• Explains the difference in performance of the three sorts.

Your final report should contain a graph which demonstrates the relative performance of each of these sorts. Use an average of the ten test runs for each sort as a single data point, and plot input size vs time.

You should make your framework flexible, as you will be adding additional sorts to this as the semester passes.

You should submit your code via email to danbennett360@gmail.com on the due date. Submit your report in class.