JavaScript Sorting Algorithm: Gnome sort

Last update on March 06 2025 11:48:53 (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

JavaScript Sorting Algorithm: Exercise-10 with Solution

Gnome Sort

Write a JavaScript program to sort a list of elements using Gnome sort.

Gnome sort is a sorting algorithm originally proposed by Dr. Hamid Sarbazi-Azad (Professor of Computer Engineering at Sharif University of Technology) in 2000 and called "stupid sort" (not to be confused with bogosort), and then later on described by Dick Grune and named "gnome sort".
The algorithm always finds the first place where two adjacent elements are in the wrong order, and swaps them. It takes advantage of the fact that performing a swap can introduce a new out-of-order adjacent pair only next to the two swapped elements.

A visualization of the gnome sort:

Sample Solution: -

HTML Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
  <html>
  <head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <title>JavaScript program of Gnome sort</title>
  </head>
  <body></body>
</html>

JavaScript Code:

function gnomeSort(arr) 
{
    function moveBack(i) 
  {
        for( ; i > 0 && arr[i-1] > arr[i]; i--)
        {
            var t = arr[i];
            arr[i] = arr[i-1];
            arr[i-1] = t;
        }
    }
    for (var i = 1; i < arr.length; i++) 
    {
        if (arr[i-1] > arr[i]) moveBack(i);
    }
    return arr;
}

var arra = [3, 0, 2, 5, -1, 4, 1]; 
console.log("Original Array Elements"); 
console.log(arra); 
console.log("Sorted Array Elements"); 
console.log(gnomeSort(arra));

Sample Output:

Original Array Elements
[3,0,2,5,-1,4,1]
Sorted Array Elements
[-1,0,1,2,3,4,5]

Flowchart:

JavaScript Searching and Sorting Algorithm Exercises: Gnome sort

Live Demo:

See the Pen searching-and-sorting-algorithm-exercise-10 by w3resource (@w3resource) on CodePen.

For more Practice: Solve these Related Problems:

Write a JavaScript function that implements gnome sort and returns the sorted array.
Write a JavaScript function that counts the number of swaps made during the gnome sort process.
Write a JavaScript function that applies gnome sort to an array of strings and verifies alphabetical order.
Write a JavaScript function that visualizes the gnome sort algorithm by logging the array state after each swap.

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