Ways to Sort List of Float Values - Python

Given a list of float values, our task is to sort them in ascending order. For example, given [3.1, 2.4, 5.6, 1.8], the sorted output should be: [1.8, 2.4, 3.1, 5.6]

Using sorted()

Python’s built-in sorted() function sorts the list in ascending order by default. It is efficient and works well for most cases.

a = [3.1, 2.4, 5.6, 1.8]

s = sorted(a)
print(s)  

[1.8, 2.4, 3.1, 5.6]

Explanation:

• sorted(a) returns a new sorted list without modifying the original.
• It uses Timsort which has an average time complexity of O(n log n).

Using .sort()

.sort() method sorts the list in place modifying the original list instead of returning a new one.

a = [3.1, 2.4, 5.6, 1.8]

a.sort()
print(a)  

[1.8, 2.4, 3.1, 5.6]

Explanation:

• .sort() modifies a instead of creating a new list.
• It also uses Timsort, with an average time complexity of O(n log n) and this is useful when memory efficiency is a priority.

Using Bubble Sort

We can manually sort the list using the Bubble Sort algorithm which repeatedly swaps adjacent elements if they are in the wrong order.

a = [3.1, 2.4, 5.6, 1.8]

n = len(a)
for i in range(n):
    for j in range(n - i - 1):
        if a[j] > a[j + 1]:
            a[j], a[j + 1] = a[j + 1], a[j]  # Swap elements

print(a)

[1.8, 2.4, 3.1, 5.6]

Explanation:

• We loop through the list multiple times, pushing the largest number to the right on each pass.
• if a[j] > a[j + 1] condition checks if two adjacent numbers are out of order.
• The a[j], a[j + 1] = a[j + 1], a[j] swap corrects their order.