01How it works
Walk forward; if the current pair is in order, step right; otherwise swap and step left. Unsorted elements are carried back one slot at a time — same effect as insertion sort, but with one index and one loop.
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05 / 18Algorithm
Gnome Sort
A gnome walks the row, swapping backward until it fits.
StableIn-place
BestO(n)
AverageO(n²)
WorstO(n²)
02Best for
Teaching and code-golf — very few lines of logic, no nested loops, trivial to verify by hand. Occasionally appears in size-constrained embedded contexts for the same reason.
03Avoid when
Performance matters. Same O(n²) cost as insertion sort with extra pointer bouncing — it's a curiosity more than a tool.