When should I use heap sort?

When should I use heap sort over other sorting algorithms?

Heap sort is useful when you need a guaranteed O(n log n) time complexity and want to avoid the worst-case scenarios of quicksort.

What are the advantages of using heap sort?

Heap sort is in-place, meaning it requires only a constant amount of additional space, and it’s not recursive, which can save stack space.

Are there any situations where I should avoid using heap sort?

Yes, if you need a stable sort or if the data is nearly sorted, other algorithms like insertion sort or merge sort might be better.

How does heap sort compare to quicksort?

While quicksort is generally faster in practice due to better cache performance, heap sort has a more predictable time complexity.