Task-2 - Max-Heap & Heap Sort

Task 2: Data Structure: max-heap & Algorithm: heap sort

Project Overview

This project is inspired by a takeaway experience at a large restaurant where the pickup screen displayed unsorted order numbers. This makes me difficult to locate my order. This drives my interest to explore sorting algorithm as a practical solution for the ordering problem. In this Report, max-heap data structure and heap sort algorithm are selected for detailed study of the priority and sorting mechanism.

This project provides both console-based and Graphic User Interface (GUI) for studying the Max-Heap data structure and Heap Sort algorithm.

1. Console - with detailed step-by-step print statements

   main.py

   maxHeap.py

   heapSort.py

2. GUI Simulator - with data tree visualization, operation logs and step-by-step heap sort anmination

   Simulator.py

Reporsitory Structure

├── main.py

├── maxHeap.py

├── heapSort.py

├── Simulator.py

├── README.md

├── requirements.txt

└── User Guide.pdf

Prerequisites

Python 3.13+ (tkinter bundled by default)

No external pip packages required

1. Clone/Download repository

2. Run console version (python main.py)

3. Run GUI simulator (python Simulator.py)

Console Version (main.py)

Concosle version included two main options:

  Operation	              Description	                                           Example Input
  Heap Sort	              Full algorithm execution with step prints	             18,17,24,20,26,19,13
  Max-Heap	                 Interactive heap operations	                            Build → Add → Extract → Remove



Sample workflow:

1. Heap-Sort → Enter: "16,14,10,8,7,9,3,2,4,1"

2. See: 

        "0. Initial array", 
        "1a. max-heap of n elements", 
        "2. Repeatedly move max to end"
        
3. Max-Heap → Build → Add(15) → Extract Max → Remove(10) → Sort current heap

GUI simulator (Simulator.py)

The two main options of max-Heap and heap Sort were put into two tabs for data tree visualization:

Tab                             Features
Max-Heap	                     Build heap, Add/Remove/Extract, Tree canvas, Operation log
Heap Sort	                     Step-by-step animation, Prev/Next navigation, Tree + trace log

Key visualizations

1. Heap tree with root in blue and showing the parent-child relationships

2. Step counters and operation logs (for better understanding of time complexity)

3. Copy-paste array support between console/GUI

Key algorithms

Heapify Up: New element bubbles up to correct position

Heapify Down: Root vacancy bubbles down largest child path

Remove arbitrary: Replace with last + heapify up/down

License

Created by IHL in April 2026 for COMP 8090SEF - Data Structures, Algorithms And Problem Solving Data Structures, Algorithms

Feel free to use for educational purposes.

Screen Shot

1. Simulator

2. Console

YouTube Introduction Video

Watch the demo on YouTube