What is the Difference Between Bubble Sort and Selection Sort?

Bubble sort and selection sort are both sorting algorithms used to arrange elements in a specific order. However, they differ in their techniques and complexity. Here are the main differences between the two:

1. Technique: Bubble sort involves comparing and potentially swapping two adjacent elements until they are in the correct order. In contrast, selection sort selects the smallest element from the unsorted list during each iteration and places it at the next position.
2. Swaps: Bubble sort performs a larger number of swaps compared to selection sort. Selection sort avoids unnecessary swaps by selecting the smallest or largest element from the unsorted part of the list.
3. Space Complexity: Bubble sort may require additional space for a temporary variable, while selection sort uses a loop counter as its temporary variable.
4. Time Complexity: Both algorithms have a time complexity of O(n^2) in the worst case. However, their efficiency may vary depending on the input data.

In summary, both bubble sort and selection sort are simple sorting algorithms with a time complexity of O(n^2) in the worst case. Bubble sort compares and potentially swaps adjacent elements, while selection sort selects the smallest elements from the unsorted list and places them at the next position. Bubble sort performs more swaps than selection sort, which makes it less efficient in some cases.

Comparative Table: Bubble Sort vs Selection Sort

Here is a table highlighting the differences between Bubble Sort and Selection Sort:

Bubble Sort works by repeatedly comparing and swapping adjacent elements in every pass. In the i-th pass of Bubble Sort (ascending order), the last (i-1) elements are already sorted, and the i-th largest element is placed at the (N-i)-th position.

Selection Sort, on the other hand, first finds the minimum element in the unsorted list and swaps it with the element at the next position in the list. This process is repeated until the entire list is sorted.