归并排序思路总结

归并排序（MERGE-SORT）是建立在归并操作上的一种有效的排序算法,该算法是采用分治法（Divide and Conquer）的一个非常典型的应用。将已有序的子序列合并，得到完全有序的序列；即先使每个子序列有序，再使子序列段间有序。若将两个有序表合并成一个有序表，称为二路归并。归并排序是一种稳定的排序方法。

归并排序是分治思想的典型应用：

迭代法实现，c语言例子如下：

int min(int x, int y) {
    return x < y ? x : y;
}
void merge_sort(int arr[], int len) {
    int* a = arr;
    int* b = (int*) malloc(len * sizeof(int));
    int seg, start;
    for (seg = 1; seg < len; seg += seg) {
        for (start = 0; start < len; start += seg + seg) {
            int low = start, mid = min(start + seg, len), high = min(start + seg + seg, len);
            int k = low;
            int start1 = low, end1 = mid;
            int start2 = mid, end2 = high;
            while (start1 < end1 && start2 < end2)
                b[k++] = a[start1] < a[start2] ? a[start1++] : a[start2++];
            while (start1 < end1)
                b[k++] = a[start1++];
            while (start2 < end2)
                b[k++] = a[start2++];
        }
        int* temp = a;
        a = b;
        b = temp;
    }
    if (a != arr) {
        int i;
        for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
            b[i] = a[i];
        b = a;
    }
    free(b);
}

递归法实现，c语言例子如下：

void merge_sort_recursive(int arr[], int reg[], int start, int end) {
    if (start >= end)
        return;
    int len = end - start, mid = (len >> 1) + start;
    int start1 = start, end1 = mid;
    int start2 = mid + 1, end2 = end;
    merge_sort_recursive(arr, reg, start1, end1);
    merge_sort_recursive(arr, reg, start2, end2);
    int k = start;
    while (start1 <= end1 && start2 <= end2)
        reg[k++] = arr[start1] < arr[start2] ? arr[start1++] : arr[start2++];
    while (start1 <= end1)
        reg[k++] = arr[start1++];
    while (start2 <= end2)
        reg[k++] = arr[start2++];
    for (k = start; k <= end; k++)
        arr[k] = reg[k];
}
void merge_sort(int arr[], const int len) {
    int reg[len];
    merge_sort_recursive(arr, reg, 0, len - 1);
}