This is actually a common interview question asked of software developers. Which sorting algorithm is fastest? This question believe it or not doesn't have an easy or unambiguous answer. On one hand the speed of sorting can depend on the environment, in which the sorting is done, and on the other hand it can depend on the type of items that are sorted and the distribution of these particular items. For example, if you are sorting a large database that cannot fit into memory all at once, this would be quite different from sorting an array of 100 integers. Adding to that, not only will the implementation of an algorithm be quite different, but it may even be that the same algorithm. It might also help to know the five Sorts that will likely be brought up in an interview. They are: Quick Sort, Insertion Sort, Shell Sort, Heap Sort, and Merge Sort. Study them and research examples of how they are use and the differences between them. I will give examples that you can use here as well.
