Basics
What type of algorithm is Selection Sort?
A comparison-based sorting algorithm.
What’s the first step in Selection Sort?
Start at the first element.
Is Selection Sort easy to implement?
Yes, very simple.
Is Selection Sort fast for large lists?
No, it’s slow.
What does Selection Sort repeatedly do?
Finds the smallest (or largest) element and places it in order.
What do you do after finding the minimum value?
Swap it with the first unsorted element.
Why is Selection Sort good when swapping takes time?
It makes few swaps.
Why is it slow?
It compares every element to every other one.
Does Selection Sort need extra memory to work?
No, it sorts the list in place.
What happens after a swap?
The sorted section grows by one element
Does it use a lot of memory?
No, it uses little memory.
Does it make more comparisons than needed?
Yes, always.
Is Selection Sort good for learning sorting basics?
Yes, it’s simple and easy to understand.
How many times do you repeat this process?
Until the entire array is sorted.
Does Selection Sort’s performance depend on how sorted the list already is?
No, it always does the same number of comparisons.
Can it take advantage of a partly sorted list?
No, it still checks everything.
What does the word “selection” refer to in Selection Sort?
Selecting the smallest (or largest) element in the unsorted section.
In the array [6, 3, 8, 5, 2], what’s the first swap?
Swap 6 and 2 → [2, 3, 8, 5, 6]
Why might beginners like Selection Sort?
Because it’s straightforward and easy to understand.
Compared to insertion sort, what can’t Selection Sort do?
It can’t speed up with partly sorted data.