Recall that the median-of-three pivot selection involves choosing the median value among the first, middle, and last elements of the current subarray to improve partitioning efficiency.

Consider how the median-of-three approach reduces the likelihood of worst-case O(n²) behavior in quicksort by avoiding extreme pivot choices (e.g., smallest or largest elements).

Analyze the computational overhead of calculating the median-of-three (e.g., comparisons and swaps) and compare it to the potential reduction in partitioning steps to determine net performance gains.