Sorts of butterflies

Abstract

This paper shows how Ruby is used to describe and analyse permutation and comparator networks. It describes two merging networks, the bitonic merger and the balanced merger, and shows how they are related. Both of these networks can be used to build recursive sorters. The balanced merger is also the building block of a periodic sorting network that is suitable for implementation on silicon. The correctness of this sorter is demonstrated. As always the key to success in understanding a circuit or algorithm is in finding suitable structuring functions and studying their mathematical properties. This paper uses the notation and to a large extent the structuring functions introduced in reference [4] (in this volume) and that paper should be read first.