Merge Sort
Noun · Development
Definitions
A stable, comparison-based sorting algorithm that recursively divides the input in half, sorts each half, and merges the sorted halves back together. It guarantees O(n log n) time complexity in all cases but requires O(n) auxiliary space for the merge step.
In plain English: A sorting method that splits a list in half repeatedly, sorts each half, then merges them back together in order — always predictably fast but needs extra space.
Example: "We use merge sort for the external sort — it naturally works with sequential disk reads since it processes data in large merged runs."