QUICKSHUNT--A Distributive Sorting Algorithm

This paper proposes an alternative solution to the problem posed by Colin et al. The algorithm here proposed sorts k wagons, using m sidings, in O(logjfc) cycles and is, unlike the polyphase merge briefly discussed by Colin et al., well suited to trains. It is equally applicable to other distributive sorting problems and was originally devised by the author for sorting punched cards in an electromechanical card sorter. It may be of more general interest because non-radix distributive sorts are rare in the literature (for example, Knuth does not discuss them).