The push_swap project is a sorting algorithm that sorts an array of integers using two stacks, stack A and stack B, and a set of predefined operations. The objective of the project is to sort the integers in stack A in ascending order using the minimum number of operations.
The push_swap project consists of the following components:
The push_swap algorithm uses the following stack operations to manipulate the stacks:
- sa: Swap the first two elements of stack A.
- sb: Swap the first two elements of stack B.
- ss: Apply sa and sb simultaneously.
- pa: Push the first element of stack B to the top of stack A.
- pb: Push the first element of stack A to the top of stack B.
- ra: Rotate stack A upward by one position.
- rb: Rotate stack B upward by one position.
- rr: Apply ra and rb simultaneously.
- rra: Rotate stack A downward by one position.
- rrb: Rotate stack B downward by one position.
- rrr: Apply rra and rrb simultaneously.
The push_swap algorithm works by dividing the array of integers into chunks and pushing the integers onto stack A. The algorithm then sorts the integers in stack A by applying a series of stack operations.
The algorithm uses a combination of heuristics and optimization techniques to minimize the number of operations required to sort the integers. The push_swap algorithm can sort arrays of up to several hundred integers in a few seconds.
The push_swap project is a challenging and interesting project that requires skills in algorithm design, data structures, and stack operations. The project provides an excellent opportunity to develop problem-solving skills and to gain experience in writing efficient and optimized code.