How to sort in-place using the merge sort algorithm?

Question

I know the question is not too specific.

All I want is someone to tell me how to convert a normal merge sort into an in-place merge sort (or a merge sort with const

Answer 1

It really isn't easy or efficient, and I suggest you don't do it unless you really have to (and you probably don't have to unless this is homework since the applications of inplace merging are mostly theoretical). Can't you use quicksort instead? Quicksort will be faster anyway with a few simpler optimizations and its extra memory is O(log N).

Anyway, if you must do it then you must. Here's what I found: one and two. I'm not familiar with the inplace merge sort, but it seems like the basic idea is to use rotations to facilitate merging two arrays without using extra memory.

Note that this is slower even than the classic merge sort that's not inplace.