JavaScript Sorting Algorithm: Sorts an array of numbers, using the quicksort algorithm

JavaScript Sorting Algorithm: Exercise-1 with Solution

Quick Sort

Write a JavaScript program to sort a list of elements using Quick sort.

Quick sort is a comparison sort, meaning that it can sort items of any type for which a "less-than" relation (formally, a total order) is defined.

Pictorial presentation - Quick Sort algorithm :

Animated visualization of the quicksort algorithm. The horizontal lines are pivot values. Animation credits: RolandH

Sample Solution-1:

JavaScript Code:

function quick_Sort(origArray) {
	if (origArray.length <= 1) { 
		return origArray;
	} else {

		var left = [];
		var right = [];
		var newArray = [];
		var pivot = origArray.pop();
		var length = origArray.length;

		for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
			if (origArray[i] <= pivot) {
				left.push(origArray[i]);
			} else {
				right.push(origArray[i]);
			}
		}

		return newArray.concat(quick_Sort(left), pivot, quick_Sort(right));
	}
}

var myArray = [3, 0, 2, 5, -1, 4, 1 ];

console.log("Original array: " + myArray);
var sortedArray = quick_Sort(myArray);
console.log("Sorted array: " + sortedArray);

Sample Output:

Original array: 3,0,2,5,-1,4,1
Sorted array: -1,0,1,2,3,4,5

Flowchart:

Sample Solution-2:

• Use recursion.
• Use the spread operator (...) to clone the original array, arr.
• If the length of the array is less than 2, return the cloned array.
• Use Math.floor() to calculate the index of the pivot element.
• Use Array.prototype.reduce() and Array.prototype.push() to split the array into two subarrays (elements smaller or equal to the pivot and elements greater than it), destructuring the result into two arrays.
• Recursively call quickSort() on the created subarrays.

JavaScript Code:

const quickSort = arr => {
  const a = [...arr];
  if (a.length < 2) return a;
  const pivotIndex = Math.floor(arr.length / 2);
  const pivot = a[pivotIndex];
  const [lo, hi] = a.reduce(
    (acc, val, i) => {
      if (val < pivot || (val === pivot && i != pivotIndex)) {
        acc[0].push(val);
      } else if (val > pivot) {
        acc[1].push(val);
      }
      return acc;
    },
    [[], []]
  );
  return [...quickSort(lo), pivot, ...quickSort(hi)];
};
 
console.log(quickSort([1, 6, 1, 5, 3, 2, 1, 4]));

Sample Output:

[1,1,1,2,3,4,5,6]

Flowchart:

Live Demo:

See the Pen searching-and-sorting-algorithm-exercise-1 by w3resource (@w3resource) on CodePen.

* To run the code mouse over on Result panel and click on 'RERUN' button.*

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