binary priority queue

(data structure)

Definition: A priority queue implemented with a binary tree having the following restrictions:

The key of a node is greater than keys of its children, i.e., it has the heap property.
If the right subtree is not empty, the left subtree is not empty.
If there are both left and right children, the left child's key is greater than the right child's key.

Generalization (I am a kind of ...)
priority queue.

Aggregate child (... is a part of or used in me.)
binary tree, heap property.

Note: The subtree restriction means that when inserting at a leaf, the left subtree is always used before the right subtree. Favoring the left subtree tends to make the tree taller and thinner.

After [GBY91, pages 223-225].

Author: PEB

Implementation

Gonnet and Baeza-Yates insert (C and Pascal) and delete (C and Pascal)

Go to the Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures home page.

If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul Black.

Entry modified 16 November 2009.
HTML page formatted Mon Feb 2 13:10:39 2015.

Cite this as:
Paul E. Black, "binary priority queue", in Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Vreda Pieterse and Paul E. Black, eds. 16 November 2009. (accessed TODAY) Available from: http://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/binaryPriorityQueue.html