Sorting

organizing · math · computers

Numbers in order. When you sort numbers, you arrange them from smallest to biggest (or biggest to smallest). This makes it much easier to find what you're looking for, just like putting books on a shelf by height.

Sorting has rules. Every sort needs a rule that decides what comes first. You might sort by size, color, alphabetical order, or how old something is. The rule tells you exactly how to line things up.

Computers love sorting. Computers use special sorting methods to organize millions of pieces of information super fast. Your phone uses sorting when you search for a contact by name or sort your photos by date.

Categorizing is sorting too. When you put things into groups with similar properties, that's another kind of sorting. Sorting your toys into action figures, cars, and blocks is grouping similar items together.

Fast vs. slow sorting. Some ways of sorting are faster than others. Computer scientists study different sorting methods to figure out which one works best for different jobs.