Sort through it

What's the fastest way to alphabetize your bookshelf?

Call To Letters — Feb 2019

How algorithms help librarians and search engines speedily sort information.

You work at the college library. You’re in the middle of a quiet afternoon when suddenly, a shipment of 1,280 books arrives. The books are in a straight line, but they're all out of order, and the automatic sorting system is broken. How can you sort the books quickly?