selection sort c++

Selection sort is an algorithm used to sort an array in ascending or descending order. It works by repeatedly finding the minimum or maximum element from the unsorted part of the array and placing it at the beginning of the sorted part.

Here is the step-by-step explanation of the selection sort algorithm in C++:

  1. Start by defining an array of elements that need to be sorted.

  2. Set up a loop to iterate through the array. The loop will start from the beginning of the array and continue until the second-to-last element.

  3. Inside the loop, assume that the current element is the minimum (or maximum) value. This is done by assigning the index of the current element to a variable called "minIndex" (or "maxIndex").

  4. Create another loop inside the first loop to compare the assumed minimum (or maximum) value with the remaining unsorted elements. This loop will start from the next element after the current one and continue until the end of the array.

  5. Inside the second loop, compare the value of the current element with the assumed minimum (or maximum) value. If the current element is smaller (or larger) than the assumed minimum (or maximum) value, update the value of "minIndex" (or "maxIndex") to the index of the current element.

  6. After the second loop finishes, swap the value of the current element with the value at the index stored in "minIndex" (or "maxIndex"). This will place the minimum (or maximum) value in its correct position in the sorted part of the array.

  7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for each element in the unsorted part of the array.

  8. Finally, the entire array will be sorted in ascending (or descending) order.

Note: The selection sort algorithm has a time complexity of O(n^2) in the worst and average case scenarios, where "n" is the number of elements in the array.