GATE CS 1994 Q1.19 — Searching, Sorting, Hashing

The Quicksort algorithm is a classic example of the Divide and Conquer algorithmic paradigm. It works by breaking down a problem into smaller subproblems, solving them recursively, and then combining the results:

1. Divide: Partition the array into two subarrays around a chosen pivot element $p$, such that all elements in the left subarray are less than or equal to $p$, and all elements in the right subarray are greater than $p$.
2. Conquer: Recursively sort the left and right subarrays using the same quicksort procedure.
3. Combine: Since the partitioning and sorting are done in-place, no explicit combination step is required; the entire array becomes sorted.

Thus, the correct option is C.