Question

Select the most correct statement about the complexity of selection sort?

Answer 1

The complexity of selection sort is O(n^2), indicating it has quadratic time complexity which makes it less efficient for larger datasets.

Step-by-step explanation:

The complexity of the selection sort algorithm is an important concept in computer science. Selection sort is a comparison-based sorting algorithm with a time complexity of O(n^2) where n is the number of items to be sorted. This means that for each element in the list, the algorithm performs an operation that can potentially compare it with all other elements, making the total number of comparisons proportional to the square of the number of elements.

Therefore, the most correct statement about the complexity of selection sort would be:

1. It has a quadratic time complexity.
2. It’s less efficient for large lists.
3. It is not affected by the initial order of the items.

In summary, while selection sort is not the most efficient sorting algorithm for large datasets, its simplicity makes it a useful tool for understanding basic sorting concepts in computer science education.