text: Elements called turtles slow down an algorithm for doing this task.
full_question: Elements called turtles slow down an algorithm for doing this task. The cocktail algorithm for performing this action is stable, meaning that similar elements preserve their relative order as the algorithm runs. An algorithm for performing this action recursively splits a certain data structure in half and interleaves the results from the left and right halves. Another algorithm to achieve this task recursively places elements on both sides of a pivot in an array. The performance of the "bubble" and "merge" algorithms for this task is superseded by a "quick" algorithm. For 10 points, name this task in which array elements are ordered.
first_sentence: Elements called turtles slow down an algorithm for doing this task.
raw_answer: sorting an array [or bubble sort; or merge sort; or quicksort]