I'm not certain, but I don't think it is possible.According to the C# docs here, the base class would need to have a virtual < operator that you would override in your derived class. If you are comparing ordinary number values, the C# types for Int16, Int32, and Int64 don't have any operators defined on these structs. The Single (32-bit floating point) and Double (64-bit floating point) types do have operators defined for <, >, and so on, but these are public static operators, not virtual.SlurrerOfSpeech said:Is it possible to override the < operator in C#? Note: I'm saying override, not overload.
I ask because, if there is, then I think I have discovered an O(1) sorting algorithm.
Filip Larsen said:I am a bit puzzled about how you can image a sorting algorithm in general (that is, not only in a narrow special case, like if we know all elements are already sorted) can perform as O(1) considering it has to read each of the N element at least once.
Maybe your code doesn't have to look at the elements of the array. But then you rely on some feature of the compiler with the overridden < to sort the array. And that will not be O(1).SlurrerOfSpeech said:If I can redefine the meaning of < then I can ensure that an array is sorted without looking at any of its elements
SlurrerOfSpeech said:If I can redefine the meaning of < then I can ensure that an array is sorted without looking at any of its elements
Yes, it is possible to override the comparator < in C# by implementing the IComparable interface or by creating a custom comparison method.
The purpose of overriding the comparator < in C# is to provide a custom comparison logic for objects of a specific class. This allows for more flexibility and control over how objects are compared and sorted.
No, the comparator < for built-in data types in C# cannot be overridden. This is because these data types already have a default comparison logic and overriding it could cause unexpected behaviors.
To override the comparator < in C# by implementing the IComparable interface, the class must implement the CompareTo() method and return a negative value if the current object is less than the other object, a positive value if it is greater, and 0 if they are equal.
Yes, there are some limitations to overriding the comparator < in C#. For example, it cannot be overridden for static or sealed classes, and it can only be overridden for reference types, not value types.