Happy birthday Quicksort!
There aren't many computer algorithms famous enough to get their very own birthday party, but Quicksort is one of them. Invented by the computer scientist Tony Hoare and published in July 1961, the algorithm's task is to put lists of things into the correct order: numbers in numerical order, words into alphabetical order, or dates into chronological oder. It does this so successfully, it is still hailed as one of the best sorting algorithms and implemented in many programming languages and libraries.
The following articles explore the invention of Quicksort, how it works, and some other aspects of Tony Hoare's work. They are based on a conversation we had with Hoare, who is currently participating in a workshop run by the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge. Enjoy!
Starting with bubbles — Hoare tells us how Quicksort started with an idea he had while lying on a sofa, which involved bubbles.
