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15 sorting algorithms in 6 minutes (2013) [video]

This video visually demonstrates 15 different sorting algorithms, including bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort, merge sort, and quick sort, all visualized with colored bars completing their sorting processes within a 6-minute runtime.

Background

A famous visualization showing 15 sorting algorithms racing to arrange the same set of colored bars into sorted order. Sorting algorithms are step-by-step methods for ordering data — a fundamental concept in computer science where picking the right algorithm can mean the difference between instant results and an endless wait. The 15 algorithms range from simple but slow (bubble sort) to complex and fast (merge sort, quick sort, heap sort); one (bogo sort) works by random shuffling and theoretically may never finish. Created by German computer scientist Timo Bingmann and viewed over 25 million times, the video became a cult classic in programming education for making abstract logic visually intuitive.

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