Intelligent Design Sort


Introduction

Intelligent design sort is a sorting algorithm based on the theory of intelligent design.

Algorithm Description

The probability of the original input list being in the exact order it's in is 1/(n!). There is such a small likelihood of this that it's clearly absurd to say that this happened by chance, so it must have been consciously put in that order by an intelligent Sorter. Therefore it's safe to assume that it's already optimally Sorted in some way that transcends our naïve mortal understanding of "ascending order". Any attempt to change that order to conform to our own preconceptions would actually make it less sorted.

Analysis

This algorithm is constant in time, and sorts the list in-place, requiring no additional memory at all. In fact, it doesn't even require any of that suspicious technological computer stuff. Praise the Sorter!

Feedback

Gary Rogers writes:
Making the sort constant in time denies the power of The Sorter. The Sorter exists outside of time, thus the sort is timeless. To require time to validate the sort dimishes the role of the Sorter. Thus... this particular sort is flawed, and can not be attributed to 'The Sorter'.
Heresy!

In contrast, Krishna Kumar writes:

A corollary: All elements are created equal under the Sorter.

Proof: Take a random permutation of the input list; this second list is also Sorted by the same argument as above. This means that any two elements in the two lists with the same index are equal to each other. But the second list was a random permutation; which indicates that every element in the original list is equal to every other element. QED.

So it seems the Sorter is benevolent in His munificence!
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