Sorting algorithms: my comparison table and how I remember each one

I kept mixing sorts up, so I made a memory hook for each. Bubble sort: big values "bubble" to the end each pass. Stable, in place, O(n²). Insertion sort: sorting a hand of cards. Great on nearly sorted input. Selection sort: repeatedly select the smallest remaining. Always O(n²) comparisons, few swaps. Merge sort: split until trivial, then merge. O(n log n) always, stable, needs extra space. Quick sort: pick a pivot, partition around it, recurse. Fast in practice, but pivot choice matters. Heap sort: build a heap and keep removing the top. O(n log n) and in place. LSD radix sort: sort digit by digit from the least significant. Not comparison based. For each one I practiced three things: sorting a small array by hand, saying whether it's stable, and naming its worst-case input.