Welcome to this explanation of Bubble Sort. Bubble Sort is a simple comparison-based sorting algorithm. It works by repeatedly stepping through a list, comparing adjacent elements, and swapping them if they are in the wrong order. This process continues until the entire list is sorted. Let's look at how it works with a simple example array.
Let's understand the steps of the Bubble Sort algorithm. First, we start at the beginning of the list. Then, we compare adjacent elements. If they are in the wrong order, we swap them. We move to the next pair and repeat this comparison and swapping process. After one complete pass through the list, the largest element will have 'bubbled up' to the end of the list. We then repeat this process for the remaining unsorted portion, excluding elements that are already in their final positions.
Let's walk through the first pass of Bubble Sort with our example array: 5, 3, 8, 4, 2. First, we compare 5 and 3. Since 5 is greater than 3, we swap them, giving us 3, 5, 8, 4, 2. Next, we compare 5 and 8. Since 5 is less than 8, we don't swap. Then we compare 8 and 4. Since 8 is greater than 4, we swap them, giving us 3, 5, 4, 8, 2. Finally, we compare 8 and 2. Since 8 is greater than 2, we swap them, resulting in 3, 5, 4, 2, 8. After this first pass, the largest element, 8, has 'bubbled up' to its correct position at the end of the array.