Result: Analysis of Sorting Algorithms by Kolmogorov Complexity (A Survey)

Title:
Analysis of Sorting Algorithms by Kolmogorov Complexity (A Survey)
Authors:
Vitanyi, Paul M. B.
Source:
Pp.209--232 in: In: Entropy, Search, Complexity, Bolyai Society Mathematical Studies, 16, I. Csiszar, G.O.H. Katona, G. Tardos, Eds., Springer-Verlag, 2007
Publication Year:
2009
Collection:
Computer Science
Subject Terms:
Computer Science - Data Structures and Algorithms, Computer Science - Computational Complexity
Document Type:
Report Working Paper
Access URL:
http://arxiv.org/abs/0905.4452
Accession Number:
edsarx.0905.4452
Database:
arXiv

Further Information

Recently, many results on the computational complexity of sorting algorithms were obtained using Kolmogorov complexity (the incompressibility method). Especially, the usually hard average-case analysis is ammenable to this method. Here we survey such results about Bubblesort, Heapsort, Shellsort, Dobosiewicz-sort, Shakersort, and sorting with stacks and queues in sequential or parallel mode. Especially in the case of Shellsort the uses of Kolmogorov complexity surprisingly easily resolved problems that had stayed open for a long time despite strenuous attacks.
Comment: 18 Pages, 2 figures, LaTeX