SortingAlgos

This repository contains C implementations and analysis of two classic sorting algorithms: Selection Sort and Insertion Sort. It also includes utilities for generating random data and benchmarking the algorithms.

Contents

• sort1.c: Implements Selection Sort and reads input data from a file.
• sort2.c: Implements Insertion Sort and reads input data from a file.
• file_handling.c: Generates a file (file.txt) with up to 100,000 random integers for testing.
• Analysis.txt: Detailed time complexity analysis and practical performance comparison of both algorithms.
• data: Empirical timing data for both sorts on various input sizes.

How to Use

1. Generate Input Data

   • Compile and run file_handling.c to create file.txt with random numbers:

     gcc file_handling.c -o file_handling
     ./file_handling
     

2. Run Sorting Algorithms

   • Compile and run either sort1.c (Selection Sort) or sort2.c (Insertion Sort):

     gcc sort1.c -o sort1
     ./sort1
     

     or

     gcc sort2.c -o sort2
     ./sort2
     

   • When prompted, enter the filename (e.g., file.txt) and the number of integers to sort.

3. View Analysis

   • See Analysis.txt for theoretical and empirical analysis of both algorithms.

Algorithms

Selection Sort (sort1.c)

• Repeatedly selects the minimum element from the unsorted part and moves it to the sorted part.
• Time Complexity: O(n²)

Insertion Sort (sort2.c)

• Builds the sorted array one element at a time by inserting each element into its correct position.
• Time Complexity: O(n²) (but generally faster than Selection Sort for practical data)

Empirical Results

• See the data file for timing results on various input sizes.
• In practice, Insertion Sort (sort2.c) outperforms Selection Sort (sort1.c) for the tested data.
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Notes

• All programs expect the input file to contain one integer per line.
• Maximum supported input size is 100,000 integers.
• Output is printed to the console after sorting.

License

This project is for educational purposes.