If a candidate doesn't know what "bubble sort" is, they cannot implement it without having it described to them first. If you have to describe the algorithm to

If a candidate doesn't know what "bubble sort" is, they cannot implement it without having it described to them first. If you have to describe the algorithm to the candidate, then what is the point of them asking for an implementation? The implementation is the description in code form. A better test might be to give the candidate a bubble sort implementation, and ask questions about that specific code, like what the "big O" is.