My Invention of "Bug Sort".

[Austin Obyrne <austin.obyrne@hotmail.com>]

Copyright © 2012 Austin O'Byrne.

Let us say that “NextNum” is a variable in a program output string that the user wants to sort at the end of the program run.

How it works.

Each change in ‘NextNum’ is trapped as it is computed by a ‘bug’ strategically placed in the lines of source code. 

Q := NextNum(I);
I_NUM(Q):= I_NUM(Q)+1;

(This is the bug)

The bug ‘gets’ (captures) the instantaneous value of NextNum as it materializes and then immediately writes this instantaneous value  to a dedicated array in order of *magnitude and returns for the next i.e. each value indexes its own place in the array ( *not in sequential order where the entries would be contiguous and remain unsorted – this is the most salient point for the reader to note).

 *This is defacto sorting per se.

It only needs to read back from the array to see the sorted string which can be anything up to 1 million or more elements sorted in a split second, to complete the task.

Discussion.

Although I do not yet have performance figures to hand I think I can safely say that this is super quick, super efficient sorting.

The method is hugely intrinsic to Ada and should be considered as a permanent part of the language mathematical library like say the ‘vector cross product’, trig functions, and calculus.  I am proposing that idea here and now if any reader wants to get behind it with me to promote the idea further to the powers that be in Ada.  I am retaining the copyright meanwhile.

I cannot see any of the synthetic algorithms like ‘quick sort’, ‘tree sort’ etc, coming even close to it.  I think this blows them all right out of the water.

I am developing the demonstration pilot programs (half way there) that I will be uploading to my site later for your perusal.

There will be,

1) An interactive real-time, separate numerical and alphanumerical working program.

2) Batch working in numerical and alphanumerical – i.e. reading in from external unsorted files and out-putting to other sorted external files.

A full description document will accompany the four uploaded programs in Ada that will have the compiler with them and are for free downloading.

I would like to corner this invention as being fundamentally an Ada feature – you guys should get behind it now if you know how to contact the Ada people who have the power to make changes to the language – I don’t. 

With both feet firmly on the ground I say this ‘sort’ method could become ubiquitous in the future and /or a bench mark for all other sort programs if they still exist.

Enjoy,

Austin O’Byrne ( aka - adacrypt).