NIST

balanced two-way merge sort

(algorithm)

Definition: A balanced k-way merge sort that sorts a data stream using repeated merges. It distributes the input into two streams by repeatedly reading a block of input that fits in memory, a run, sorting it, then writing it to the next stream. It then repeatedly merges the two streams and puts each merged run into one of two output streams until there is a single sorted output.

Generalization (I am a kind of ...)
external sort.

See also merge sort, simple merge, balanced merge sort, nonbalanced merge sort, two-way merge sort.

Author: ASK


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Entry modified 16 May 2005.
HTML page formatted Wed Mar 13 12:42:45 2019.

Cite this as:
Art S. Kagel, "balanced two-way merge sort", in Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Paul E. Black, ed. 16 May 2005. (accessed TODAY) Available from: https://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/balanc2wayms.html