Final answer:
Bubble sort is a basic sorting algorithm that repeatedly compares and swaps adjacent elements until the list is sorted. It is known for its simplicity but is inefficient for large datasets with a worst-case time complexity of O(n^2). It is often used for educational purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bubble sort is a simple sorting algorithm that repeatedly steps through the list, compares adjacent elements, and swaps them if they are in the wrong order. The pass through the list is repeated until no swaps are needed, which indicates that the list is sorted. Although it is not suitable for large datasets due to its inefficiency, it is frequently used to introduce the concept of algorithm design to beginners.
The algorithm gets its name from the way smaller elements "bubble" to the top of the list (beginning of the list). Since its worst-case time complexity is O(n^2), where n is the number of items being sorted, bubble sort is not practical for large lists and is outperformed by more complex algorithms like quick sort, merge sort, or heap sort.
An example of bubble sort in action would be organizing a set of cards in ascending order where you compare two adjacent cards at a time and swap them if the first card is greater than the second card, repeating this process until all the cards are ordered correctly.