In computer science and mathematics, a sorting algorithm is an algorithm that puts elements of a list in a certain order. The most used orders are numerical order and lexicographical order. Efficient sorting is important to optimizing the use of other algorithms (such as search and merge algorithms) that require sorted lists to work correctly; it is also often useful for canonicalizing data and for producing human-readable output. More formally, the output must satisfy two conditions:

1. The output is in nondecreasing order (each element is no smaller than the previous element according to the desired total order);
2. The output is a permutation, or reordering, of the input.

Since the dawn of computing, the sorting problem has attracted a great deal of research, perhaps due to the complexity of solving it efficiently despite its simple, familiar statement. For example, bubble sort was analyzed as early as 1956.^* Although many consider it a solved problem, useful new sorting algorithms are still being invented to this day (for example, library sort was first published in 2004). Sorting algorithms are prevalent in introductory computer science classes, where the abundance of algorithms for the problem provides a gentle introduction to a variety of core algorithm concepts, such as big O notation, divide-and-conquer algorithms, data structures, randomized algorithms, best, worst and average case analysis, time-space tradeoffs, and lower bounds.

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Should Apple Even Care About the Enterprise?
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:02:10 -0400
Apple might be targeting the enterprise, but the real question now is whether or not it should. Is Apple a hardware company or a software company? This question is coming to the fore again because with the advent of Windows 7, enterprises will deciding whether the time has come to finally upgrade the hardware to the new version. But given Apple's long-established market strategy, it just might not be important for Apple to win new enterprise converts to its operating system platform. - The debate over whether or not the business world should deploy Windows 7 rages on. Some say it's an iterative update over Windows Vista and thus, not worth deploying. Others believe it's the operating system that Microsoft should have created in the first place. They believe it's perfect for ...
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Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:36:49 -0400
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The Seattle Times: Business & Technology

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NYT > Technology

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CNN.com - Technology

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NPR Topics: Technology

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BBC News | Technology | UK Edition

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Part_1: MRLIN Sub_Cell Wall Boundary Framing (FOV Cam Model): This animation/simulation shows how content on multiple sub_cell walls (both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios) can be easily framed and viewed with a translation algoritm based on each camera grid node location. Algorithm scales with rest of system. There are perspective limitations for sub_framing content on cells beyond proximal cell.