What type of sorting efficiently selects the smallest item in a list multiple times until sorted?

Selection Sort is characterized by its method of sorting. It works through a repeated process of selecting the smallest (or largest, depending on the order) element from an unsorted list and moving it to the beginning. This process continues by reducing the size of the unsorted portion of the list until everything is sorted.

During each pass through the list, the algorithm scans the entire unsorted portion to find the smallest item. Once identified, that item is swapped with the first item of the unsorted portion, effectively extending the sorted section of the list. This selection process is repeated for each remaining unsorted item, making it clear how Selection Sort efficiently selects the smallest item multiple times until the entire list is sorted.

The other sorting algorithms listed operate differently; for instance, Insertion Sort builds the final sorted array one element at a time by inserting elements into their correct position. Merge Sort divides the list into sublists and then merges them back together in sorted order. Heap Sort builds a heap data structure to sort the elements, using the property of heaps to efficiently organize and retrieve the smallest or largest elements. Each of these methods has distinct mechanisms unsuitable for the repeated selection approach of Selection Sort.