What are some real-world applications of merge sort?

What are some real-world applications of merge sort?

Merge sort is widely used in applications where stable sorting is required, such as in databases and external sorting.

Can you explain why merge sort is preferred in external sorting?

Merge sort is preferred in external sorting because it efficiently handles large datasets that don't fit into memory by dividing them into smaller chunks.

Are there any specific industries that rely on merge sort?

Yes, industries like finance for sorting transactions, and telecommunications for organizing call data often use merge sort.

How does merge sort compare to quicksort in terms of performance?

Merge sort has a guaranteed O(n log n) time complexity, while quicksort can degrade to O(n^2) in the worst case, making merge sort more reliable for large datasets.

What are the advantages of using merge sort over other sorting algorithms?

The main advantages of merge sort include its stable sorting, predictable performance, and efficiency with large datasets.