Searching vs Sorting Algorithms: Know the Difference between Searching and Sorting Algorithms
Both of these are techniques used to deal with data elements. But there is a basic difference between Searching and Sorting Algorithms. On the one hand, Searching refers to a technique that helps us search a data element out of the given string or array. On the other hand, Sorting refers to the technique used for rearranging the data elements present in a string or an array in any specified order, descending or ascending.
Let us know a bit more about the differences between Searching and Sorting Algorithms. But before we do that, let us know a bit more about each of these in detail.
What are Searching Algorithms?
The algorithms used in searching are known as searching algorithms. Searching is a process using which one searches the desired element present in a group of elements. Various methods are used for searching, but the most popular ones are Binary Search algorithms and Linear Search algorithms.
What are Sorting Algorithms?
The algorithms used in sorting are known as sorting algorithms. Sorting refers to the operation in which we arrange the elements present in a table into a sequential order that complies with the ordering criteria. Sorting is basically performed according to the element’s key value.
On the basis of a key’s structure, the elements in a system can be stored alphabetically, numerically, or even alphanumerically. For instance, the elements present in a numerical sorting are arranged in descending order or ascending order, according to all of these elements’ numerical values.
Difference between Searching and Sorting Algorithms
Let us talk about the differences between Searching and Sorting Algorithms.
| Parameters | Searching Algorithms | Sorting Algorithms |
| Basics | Searching algorithms are used to look for and retrieve the elements used in any data structure from that data structure itself. | Sorting algorithms help arrange a list of data or an array of data into a particular order. |
| Types | The searching algorithms can be classified into two basic types – the Interval Search and the Sequential Search. | The sorting algorithms can be classified into two basic types- Internal Sorting and External Sorting. |
| Stable and Unstable Algorithms | No stable algorithms or unstable algorithms exist in searching. | Some examples of stable sorting algorithms are Merge Sort, Insertion Sort, Bubble Sort, etc. On the other hand, Heap Sort, Quick Sort, etc., are some examples of unstable sorting algorithms. |
| Worst-Case Complexity of Time | For any searching algorithm, the worst-case complexity of time is O(N). | In the case of sorting algorithms, like Quick Sort, Selection Sort, Insertion Sort, Bubble Sort, etc., the worst-case complexity of time is O(N2). |
| Examples | The Binary Search and the Linear Search are the most common examples of the Searching Algorithms. | A few prominent examples of Sorting Algorithms are Insertion Sort, Bubble Sort, Quick Sort, Merge Sort, Selection Sort, etc. |
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