CSC297.Java, Class 30: Linear Structures

Admin
* How did Radix Sort on strings go?
* New homework: 
  * Review the "Java Collections Framework"

Topics:
* Radix Sort 

* Sam and Yvonne (and JWells) write one version
  * See RadixSortStrings.java
* A problem: Creates an awful lot of buckets.
* Can we write one that uses just 128 buckets (or so)?
* Strategy:
  * Separate into buckets
  * Rather than recursing immediately, join all the buckets together
  * Go back to the top
* Problem:
  * Doesn't work if you scan the strings left-to-right
* Solution:
  * Scan the strings right to left
* See NewRadixSortStrings.java for an example
* NewRadixSortStrings seems to be significantly faster (by at least a factor of two)
  + We used /usr/share/dict/words as our input (approximably 45000 words)