Algorithm Visualization Suite

This project demonstrates Binary Search and Merge Sort with interactive CLI visualizations, GUI animations, and practical application demos.

Files

• main.py — Program entry point and menus
• binary_search.py — Binary Search implementation
• merge_sort.py — Merge Sort implementation
• visualizer.py — CLI visualization utilities
• gui_visualizer.py — Matplotlib GUI visualizations
• applications.py — Demos, use-cases, and GUI integration
• test_algorithms.py — Unit tests (pytest)

Features

CLI Visualizations

• Step-by-step algorithm walkthroughs with color-coded output
• Interactive number guessing game (Binary Search)
• Student search and grade sorting demos
• Performance statistics and comparisons

GUI Visualizations (Matplotlib)

• Animated Merge Sort: Watch bars being sorted in real-time with color-coded phases
• Binary Search Steps: Visual representation of search range narrowing
• Complexity Comparison: Graph comparing O(log n), O(n), O(n log n), O(n²)
• Performance Benchmark: Real performance graphs for different input sizes

Usage

Run the main program:

python3 main.py

From the main menu:

• Options 1-5: CLI demonstrations
• Option 6: GUI visualizations (requires matplotlib)
• Option 7: Exit

Requirements

Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Required packages:

• matplotlib (for GUI visualizations)
• numpy (for performance analysis)
• pytest (for running tests)

Testing

Run all tests:

pytest test_algorithms.py -v

Notes

• CLI visualizations use blocking input() calls for educational step-through
• GUI visualizations open matplotlib windows (close window to continue)
• All tests pass with proper handling of interactive and non-interactive modes