Quicksort implementation by using Java

 source: http://www.algolist.net/Algorithms/Sorting/Quicksort.

The divide-and-conquer strategy is used in quicksort. Below the recursion step is described:
1st: Choose a pivot value. We take the value of the middle element as pivot value, but it can be any value(e.g. some people would like to pick the first element and do the exchange in the end)

2nd: Partition. Rearrange elements in such a way, that all elements which are lesser than the pivot go to the left part of the array and all elements greater than the pivot, go to the right part of the array. Values equal to the pivot can stay in any part of the array. Apply quicksort algorithm recursively to the left and the right parts - the previous pivot element excluded!

Partition algorithm in detail:

There are two indices i and j and at the very beginning of the partition algorithm i points to the first element in the array and j points to the last one. Then algorithm moves i forward, until an element with value greater or equal to the pivot is found. Index j is moved backward, until an element with value lesser or equal to the pivot is found. If i ≤ j then they are swapped and i steps to the next position (i + 1), j steps to the previous one (j - 1). Algorithm stops, when i becomes greater than j.

After partition, all values before i-th element are less or equal than the pivot and all values after j-th element are greater or equal to the pivot.

code:

int partition(int arr[], int left, int right)

{

      int i = left, j = right;

      int tmp;

      int pivot = arr[(left + right) / 2];

     

      while (i <= j) {

            while (arr[i] < pivot)

                  i++;

            while (arr[j] > pivot)

                  j--;

            if (i <= j) {

                  tmp = arr[i];

                  arr[i] = arr[j];

                  arr[j] = tmp;

                  i++;

                  j--;

            }

      };

     

      return i;

}

void quickSort(int arr[], int left, int right) {

      int index = partition(arr, left, right);

      if (left < index - 1)

            quickSort(arr, left, index - 1);

      if (index < right)

            quickSort(arr, index, right);

}

public static void main(String[] args){

...

int[] arr = new int[]{....};

.quickSort(arr,0, arr.length-1);

}