Fast parallel sorting algorithms

  • Authors:
  • D. S. Hirschberg

  • Affiliations:
  • Rice Univ., Houston, TX

  • Venue:
  • Communications of the ACM
  • Year:
  • 1978

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Abstract

A parallel bucket-sort algorithm is presented that requires time O(log n) and the use of n processors. The algorithm makes use of a technique that requires more space than the product of processors and time. A realistic model is used in which no memory contention is permitted. A procedure is also presented to sort n numbers in time O(k log n) using n1+1/k processors, for k an arbitrary integer. The model of computation for this procedure permits simultaneous fetches from the same memory location.