Algorithm Solves Library Sorting

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Wired

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Technology

This New Algorithm for Sorting Books or Files Is Close to Perfection

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New algorithm addresses something called the library sorting problem (more formally, the “list labeling” problem) The challenge is to devise a strategy for organizing books in some kind of sorted order that minimizes how long it takes to place a new book on the shelf.

The new approach combines a little knowledge of the bookshelf's past contents with the surprising power of randomness.

Computer scientists have lowered the upper bound on the library sorting problem practically down to the ideal.

They created a new algorithm that was “history independent,” non-smooth, and randomized.

It looked at past trends to plan for future events, but only up to a point.

The result built on and transformed their previous work.

It’s much more likely that any future improvements will affect the upper bound, bringing it all the way down to log n.

But the world’s full of weird surprises, he says.

“The world” is full of weird surprises,” he adds.

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