Price array

Define the price array and print it unsorted.

Add sorting function

Now we add the sort_prices(prices) function. It sorts prices from smallest to largest using selection sort.

Selection sort finds the smallest price at each step and places it correctly. It continues until the whole array is sorted.

Selection sort implementation

Selection sort uses an outer loop for each position and an inner loop to find the minimum. At each step, one price is placed correctly.

Swapping moves the minimum price to its correct position. This arranges the prices in sorted order.

Exercise Apply sorting

Write sort_prices(prices). Sort with selection sort and return. Print [12, 23, 45, 67, 99] with print(sort_prices(init_prices())).

Show example solution

def init_prices():
    # Return price array
    return [99, 45, 12, 67, 23]
def sort_prices(prices):
    # Sort
    n = len(prices)
    for i in range(n - 1):
        min_idx = i
        for j in range(i + 1, n):
            if prices[j] < prices[min_idx]:
                min_idx = j
        prices[i], prices[min_idx] = prices[min_idx], prices[i]
    return prices
print(sort_prices(init_prices()))

Test yourself

Which algorithm does sort_prices use?
- Merge sort
- Selection sort
- Bubble sort
- Quick sort
Show answer

Selection sort — It uses selection sort.

Finding minimum

At each step, the ____ index is found.

Show answer

At each step, the min_idx index is found.

Price array: match the terms

sort_prices

Sort
prices

Array
min_idx

Minimum
swap

Exchange

Next lesson: Apply sorting

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