sorting list of complex numbers

[Steve Holden]

skip at pobox.com wrote:
[...]
>     Duncan> If you don't like the tuple then just do the two sorts separately:
> 
>     >>>> lst.sort(key=lambda x: x.imag)
>     >>>> lst.sort(key=lambda x: x.real)
>     ...
> 
> I tried that.  I could have sworn when I read through the output it hadn't
> retained the order of the real parts.  Wait a minute...  I sorted by real
> them by imag.  So the trick is to sort by primary sort key last.
> 
> Timeit suggests the single sort returning the real, imag tuples is faster
> than two sorts each on one field, as you might expect since many fewer calls
> to the key function are made.
> 
Only half the number, of course. The advantage of the key function is
that each element requires only one call out to a Python function, and
the comparisons then take place using a C-coded comparison function.

But you knew that already, right?

regards
 Steve
-- 
Steve Holden        +1 571 484 6266   +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC              http://www.holdenweb.com/