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> built for the real world — not constructed in academia. Why would lacking in evidence and rigor be considered a plus? Does Timsort pride itself of being the
by tpoacher 4y ago
> built for the real world — not constructed in academia.
Why would lacking in evidence and rigor be considered a plus?
Does Timsort pride itself of being the homeopathy of sorting algorithms?
What a bizzare brag to make.
- scrozier 4y agoI had the same thought at first. But I think the point is that this sort of heuristically cobbled together sort wouldn't typically be the stuff of academic research, brilliant and practical though it is.
- jamestimmins 4y agoI actually found this valuable, without being a "brag". The best type of sort for real-world problems is build with an understanding of real-world datasets. The types of questions and research that interest academia, while often valid, are distinct from those that concern practical engineers.
- masklinn 4y ago> Why would lacking in evidence and rigor be considered a plus? The point it’s making is about heuristics rather than theoretical complexity. Tim Peters provided plenty of evidence and rigorous work when he proposed it. That you interpret it as “lack of evidence and rigor” is really about you.
- tpoacher 4y agoOn the contrary, it means it was actually supported by academic effort (the provision of evidence and rigorous work, as you put it). Hence why I'm saying what a weird brag. It's not even true.