Which of the following is a characteristic of bubble sort?

Bubble sort is characterized by being a stable sorting algorithm, meaning that it maintains the relative order of records with equal keys (or values). This characteristic is particularly useful when sorting objects that have multiple fields, as it ensures that any initial ordering is preserved for the values that are equivalent. Additionally, bubble sort is classified as an in-place sorting algorithm, which means it requires only a constant amount of additional space regardless of the input size. This makes bubble sort suitable for situations where memory space is a concern, as it rearranges the elements in the same array without needing to allocate extra space for another structure.

When considering efficiency for large datasets, bubble sort is generally considered inefficient due to its average and worst-case time complexity of O(n²). This heavy computational load makes it less practical for larger lists compared to more advanced algorithms. The requirement for extra space also disqualifies bubble sort from options that involve additional space, as it operates within the original data structure. Furthermore, bubble sort is inherently iterative and does not employ recursion to sort elements, which distinguishes it from recursive sorting algorithms like quicksort or mergesort.