Agenda:

Python Program: How to Sort a list of Numbers This tutorial covers various methods to sort lists of numbers in Python, providing an efficient approach to enhance your programming skills. The content covers: Multiple Sorting Methods:Using sorted(), sort(), slicing, lambda functions with sorted(), and the heapq module for large lists. FAQs:Common questions about sorting, including handling mixed number types, scientific notation, negative numbers, custom sorting, and memory efficiency.

Prerequisites for Sorting a List of Numbers: Lists in Python are collections of elements, ideal for storing and manipulating numerical data. Method 1:

Example List of Numbers

num_list = [4, 2, 7, 1, 9] the above example, 4, 2, 7, 1, and 9 are numerical elements in the list. Multiple Ways to Sort List of Numbers or Integers: We can sort a list many ways. we are explaining five such techneques. Method1 : Using the sorted () function - The sorted() function is a built-in Python function that sorts any iterable, including lists of numbers, in ascending order by default. To sort in descending order, use the reverse parameter.

Example using sorted() for descending order

num_list = [4, 2, 7, 1, 9]

Sorting in descending order using sorted()

sorted_num_desc = sorted(num_list, reverse=True)

Displaying the sorted numbers

print(sorted_num_desc)

Method 2 : Using the sort() method:The sort() method is a built-in list method that sorts elements in place. Like sorted(), it has a reverse parameter to sort in descending order.

Example using sort() for descending order

num_list = [4, 2, 7, 1, 9]

Sorting in descending order using sort()

num_list.sort(reverse=True)

Displaying the sorted numbers

print(num_list)

Method 3 : Using the [::-1] slicing technique. Python list slicing can reverse a list by changing the order of elements without using a sorting function.

Example using slicing for descending order

num_list = [4, 2, 7, 1, 9]

Reversing the list using slicing

reversed_num = num_list[::-1]

Displaying the reversed numbers

print(reversed_num)

Method 4: Using the Lambda Function with sorted() For complex sorting criteria, you can use a lambda function with sorted(). For example, you can sort a list of numbers based on their remainder when divided by 5.

Example using Lambda Function with sorted()

num_list = [15, 7, 22, 11, 5]

Sorting by remainder when divided by 5 using lambda function with sorted()

sorted_num_remainder = sorted(num_list, key=lambda x: x % 5)

Displaying the sorted numbers

print(sorted_num_remainder)

Method 5 : Using heapq module for large lists For ultra-large lists, the heapq module in Python offers a heap-based algorithm, which can be more memory-efficient than other sorting methods. import heapq as hq

Example using heapq for descending order

num_list = [4, 2, 7, 1, 9]

Sorting in descending order using heapq

hq.heapify(num_list) sorted_num_hq = [hq.heappop(num_list) for _ in range(len(num_list))]

Displaying the sorted numbers

print(sorted_num_hq)