Sorting Algorithms - Word Drop

A sorting algorithm puts the items in a list into numerical or alphabetical order. Sorted data is easier to read. The three standard sorting algorithms are bubble sort, merge sort and ______.

Bubble sort compares each item with the ______ item beside it, swapping any pair in the wrong order. In ascending order, each pass moves the ______ item not yet in place to the end of the list. Every pass still compares pairs, so the sort stops when a whole pass makes no ______.

Merge sort divides the list into ______ until every sub-list holds one item. It then ______ sub-lists in pairs, comparing their front items. Insertion sort keeps a sorted part on the left. It takes the next item and shifts larger items one place to the ______, then inserts it into the gap.

None of the three sorts needs the data in order first, as each works on an unsorted list. Applying a sort to a ______ means showing every stage, in ascending or descending order. You may also have to read ______ and name the sort it describes. Bubble sort is easy to write but its many comparisons make it ______ on large lists. Insertion sort is quick on small lists and on ______ lists, where few items are out of place. Merge sort is quicker on large lists but harder to write and needs extra ______ for its sub-lists.