Abstract
In this paper, we prove tight upper and lower bounds on the number of processors, information transfer, wire area, and time needed to sort N numbers in a bounded-degree fixed-connection network. Our most important new results are: 1) the construction of an N-node degree-3 network capable of sorting N numbers in O(log N) word steps; 2) a proof that any network capable of sorting N (7 log N)-bit numbers in T bit steps requires area A where AT2 = Ω(N2 log2 N); and 3) the construction of a ``small-constant-factor'' bounded-degree network that sorts N Θ(log N)-bit numbers in T = Θ(log N) bit steps with A = Θ(N2) area.

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