What are the differences between C++ standard algorithms?

What are the differences between C++ standard algorithms like sort, stable_sort, and partial_sort?

The main difference is that sort is not stable, meaning equal elements may not retain their original order, while stable_sort preserves the order of equal elements. partial_sort only sorts a portion of the range, leaving the rest unsorted.

When should I use stable_sort instead of sort?

You should use stable_sort when the order of equivalent elements is important, such as when sorting records by multiple fields.

Can you give an example of using partial_sort?

Sure! If you want the top 3 elements from a list of numbers sorted, you can use partial_sort to sort just those 3 elements while leaving the rest unsorted.

Are there performance differences between these algorithms?

Yes, sort is generally faster than stable_sort because it doesn't have to maintain the order of equal elements. partial_sort can be more efficient when you only need a subset of sorted elements.