Hash Tables, Heaps, and Priority Structures · Sorting
Heap sort uses heap structure to repeatedly select the next largest or smallest item with predictable O(n log n) behavior.
Student Focus
We use heap sort to reinforce why data structure invariants can drive algorithm design.
Guided Lesson Notes
This guide helps students understand the idea, implement it carefully, explain the runtime, and recognize when the pattern belongs in a larger problem.
In a session, students usually start with a small trace, then write or review code, then test edge cases. The final step is a short explanation: what the structure or algorithm stores, why it is correct, and what changes when the input grows.
Tutoring Connection
Students can use this page before a lesson, after a difficult homework assignment, or while preparing for AP Computer Science A extensions, Advanced Topics in CS, USACO growth, or a college data structures course.
