For a list of length n, selection sort makes ____ item assignments.
A) n(n - 1)/2
B) 3(n - 1)
C) 3(n)
D) 4(n + 1)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Selection sort involves n-1 passes through the list, with each pass selecting the smallest unsorted item and swapping it into place at the beginning of the unsorted section. This requires 3 assignments per pass (one to store the index of the smallest item, one to swap it with the first unsorted item, and one to swap the first unsorted item with the smallest item). Therefore, the total number of assignments is 3(n-1).

For a List of Length N, Selection Sort Makes ____