It's important to understand the characteristics of various sorting algorithms so you can choose the best one
I disagree - most languages offer a sort function which is nealry optimal in the average case. You very rarely choose unless you are doing something where the sort performance is extremely important.
However, uunderstanding various sort algorithms and their intricacies is a great way to demonstrate fundamental algorithm design as well as some data structures. This is why it's important - so when you do write code, you come with a huge amount of insight into how to go about it.
However, uunderstanding various sort algorithms and their intricacies is a great way to demonstrate fundamental algorithm design as well as some data structures. This is why it's important - so when you do write code, you come with a huge amount of insight into how to go about it.