Virtual Memory Behavior of Some Sorting Algorithms

Experimnental results are given about the performance of six sorting algorithms in a virtual memory based on the working set principle. With one exception, the algorithms are general internal sorting algorithms and not especially tuned for virtual memory. Algorithms are compared in terms of their time requirements, space requirements, and space-time integrals. The relative performances of the algorithms vary from one measure to the other. Especially in terms of a space-time integral, quicksort turns out to be the best algorithm, also in a working set virtual memory environment.