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Sorted Order in a List of Values

A list is in sorted order when every value is no smaller than the one before it, so the smallest remaining value is always at the front. A learner afterwards can say whether a given list is sorted and can name the next value a left-to-right walk will reach.

Questions this Concept answers

Why is keeping a column's values in sorted order the foundation of an index?

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Why do we use the term non-descending instead of ascending in sorting algorithms?

A list is in sorted order when each value is no smaller than the one before it. People often say "ascending", but that word suggests every value is strictly larger than the last, which is wrong whene…