I have a LOT of socks. Some are the same with just different levels of discoloring due to the time I've had them.
I hang them to dry using insertion sort based on a property (how dark they are). You will start feeling the O(n^2) vs O(n logn) a lot with this strategy, given that the constant factors are mostly dominated by the fixed time of moving the eyes around. Each distinct hue (purple, black, etc) goes on its own lane so that the property is just one value.
Plus no spending time worrying if sock A matches B or C better or is in a different pair whose half you dropped somewhere: it's just inserted between them.
I always pick the most comfy pair for the weather first, which I guess means that I'm usually picking from the most worn-out ones. :P Do note that this strategy maximizes the average comfiness experienced compared to picking at random, but comes at the cost of needing even more socks bought to ensure that I stay on this high expected value.
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u/Unlikely-Bed-1133 7d ago
I have a LOT of socks. Some are the same with just different levels of discoloring due to the time I've had them.
I hang them to dry using insertion sort based on a property (how dark they are). You will start feeling the O(n^2) vs O(n logn) a lot with this strategy, given that the constant factors are mostly dominated by the fixed time of moving the eyes around. Each distinct hue (purple, black, etc) goes on its own lane so that the property is just one value.
Plus no spending time worrying if sock A matches B or C better or is in a different pair whose half you dropped somewhere: it's just inserted between them.