Interactive Visualization

Watch insertion sort work in real-time. The visualizer shows how elements are picked, compared, shifted, and inserted.

What to Observe

As you watch the visualization, notice:

1. Sorted portion: Left side grows as elements are inserted
2. Current element: Highlighted element being processed
3. Shifting: Elements moving right to make room
4. Insertion: Element placed in correct position
5. Final result: Array is completely sorted

Understanding the Colors

• Green: Sorted portion (left side)
• Blue/Cyan: Current element being inserted
• Orange/Yellow: Elements being shifted
• Red: Elements being compared
• Gray: Unsorted portion (right side)

Try Different Arrays

The visualizer shows how insertion sort:

• Builds sorted array incrementally
• Shifts elements efficiently
• Handles nearly sorted arrays well
• Works in-place without extra space

Best Case Scenario

For a nearly sorted array like [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]:

• Only one element (4) needs shifting
• Inner loop runs few times
• Very efficient - close to O(n)

Worst Case Scenario

For a reverse sorted array like [5, 4, 3, 2, 1]:

• Every element needs maximum shifting
• Inner loop runs many times
• O(n²) comparisons and shifts

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve seen it work, let’s implement insertion sort in code.