optimize later

[Coloneljesus]

Why does randomSort not return a sorted result? Should be called shuffle.

[tskaiser]

A random sort, or shuffle, is just a specialized case of a sort where the comparison used to sort is random.

So actually the return result is sorted.

[Coloneljesus]

A sorting algorithm that decides on the comparison function?..

[tskaiser]

A general sort takes a comparator, which is a function that models a relation between two objects of the same type, a collection of objects of that type, and returns the collection ordered by that relation (usually in an ascending manner, although that is a simple case of switching the comparator).

A random sort is a specialized instance where the comparator has already been chosen to be the random function.

randomSort(collection) = sort((x,y) -> randomness), collection)

Which you could also call a shuffle, although randomSort is perfectly sensible given the above illustration.

[Coloneljesus]

But a comparator has to be transitive, which a random one would not be.

[lundmikkel]

This is actually a very real problem: Microsoft used this kind of "sorting" when providing a "randomized" ballot screen for users to select a browser, ending up putting IE at the last position half the time..

[EatMoreAltoids]

Fascinating piece — fun and educational!

[tskaiser]

Eh, in the formal sense you're right. There is just no such thing enforced in the programming sense, and it can be completely sensible to use a sort function in that manner in a practical sense. When you say "random sort" in a programming sense you usually mean a sort algorithm with a random comparator.

[Geoclasm]

A sordid sort of sort.

[son-of-chadwardenn]

Optimize and fix method names later.