Merge sort uses which of the following technique to implement sorting? Options backtracking greedy algorithm divide and conquer dynamic programming

Problem Breakdown

To determine which technique is used by merge sort for implementing sorting, we need to evaluate the options provided.

Relevant Concepts

1. Backtracking: A method for solving problems incrementally, trying partial solutions and then abandoning them if they do not lead to a valid solution.
2. Greedy Algorithm: An approach that builds up a solution piece by piece, always choosing the next piece that offers the most immediate benefit.
3. Divide and Conquer: A strategy that involves breaking a problem into smaller sub-problems, solving each sub-problem individually, and then combining those solutions to solve the original problem.
4. Dynamic Programming: A method for solving complex problems by breaking them down into simpler subproblems and solving each subproblem just once, storing the solutions for future reference.

Analysis and Detail

Merge sort involves dividing the array into halves, sorting those halves, and then merging them back together. This clearly follows the divide and conquer technique. The sorting process is recursive, where each level of recursion deals with smaller portions of the array until the base case is reached, making it easy to combine the results.

Verify and Summarize

After analyzing the options and conceptual methods, it is evident that merge sort utilizes the divide and conquer technique extensively as it divides the input data into smaller parts, sorts those parts, and combines them to get the final sorted array.

Final Answer

Merge sort uses the Divide and Conquer technique.