Mountain Streams
# Rivers born in mountain snow# Seek paths to distant seasdef flow(waters)return waters if waters.length <= 1# Waters part at stone and icemiddle = waters.length / 2left, right = waters.take(middle), waters.drop(middle)# Through valleys they wind deepleft_flow = flow(left)right_flow = flow(right)# Below to meet as one again# Dancing toward the sealeft_flow.merge(right_flow)end
Using Ruby's elegant syntax, the poem follows the natural flow of water from mountain heights through division and reunion. Each stage of the merge sort algorithm is expressed through water metaphors - streams dividing at stones and ice, winding through valleys, and finally merging back together. The comments create a parallel poetic narrative alongside the functional code, following a complete journey from snow to sea.
Implements merge sort with Ruby's idiomatic style. The algorithm follows the standard divide-and-conquer approach with O(n log n) time complexity. Uses Ruby's built-in methods like take/drop for array manipulation and natural comparison operators, maintaining both efficiency and readability. The recursive structure naturally expresses both the algorithm's implementation and its conceptual elegance.
The poem explores how computational processes mirror patterns found in nature. Just as mountain streams naturally find efficient paths downward and eventually merge into larger rivers, the merge sort algorithm discovers order through division and recombination. The parallel between natural water cycles and recursive algorithms suggests a deeper harmony between computational thinking and natural processes. The presence of both permanent stone and temporal ice in the poem speaks to the timeless patterns that underlie both natural and computational systems.