Deep Dive: 2D Arrays

Part of Insertion Sort Ā· Section 4 of 8

Study NotesUnit: 3.1 Fundamentals of AlgorithmsGCSE

A 2D array is like a table or grid:

// Noughts and Crosses board
array board[3, 3]

board[0, 0] = "X"
board[1, 1] = "O"
board[2, 2] = "X"

// Visualised:
// [X][ ][ ]
// [ ][O][ ]
// [ ][ ][X]

First index = row, Second index = column

This study notes covers Deep Dive: 2D Arrays within Insertion Sort for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Insertion Sort in 3.1 Fundamentals of Algorithms for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 4 of 8 in this topic. Use this study notes to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Practice questions for Insertion Sort

Which statement best describes how insertion sort works?

  • A. It repeatedly swaps adjacent elements until the list is sorted
  • B. It divides the list in half repeatedly and merges sorted halves
  • C. It takes each element and inserts it into its correct position in the already sorted portion
  • D. It selects the smallest element and swaps it to the front each pass
1 markfoundation

Describe how insertion sort works. Your answer should include how the algorithm processes each element.

3 marksstandard

Quick recall flashcards

What is the time complexity of insertion sort?
O(nĀ²) worst/average case, O(n) best case (already sorted)
How does insertion sort work?
Builds sorted list one element at a time by inserting each element into its correct position

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