What is the difference between `sorted(list)` vs `list.sort()`?

Question

list.sort() sorts the list and replaces the original list, whereas sorted(list) returns a sorted copy of the list, without changing the original li

Answer 1

The main difference is that sorted(some_list) returns a new list:

a = [3, 2, 1]
print sorted(a) # new list
print a         # is not modified

and some_list.sort(), sorts the list in place:

a = [3, 2, 1]
print a.sort() # in place
print a         # it's modified

Note that since a.sort() doesn't return anything, print a.sort() will print None.

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Can a list original positions be retrieved after list.sort()?

No, because it modifies the original list.