iterative version of recursive algorithm to make a binary tree

Question

Given this algorithm, I would like to know if there exists an iterative version. Also, I want to know if the iterative version can be faster.

This some kind of pseudo-python...

the algorithm returns a reference to root of the tree

make_tree(array a)
  if len(a) == 0
        return None;

  node = pick a random point from the array
  calculate distances of the point against the others
  calculate median of such distances
  node.left = make_tree(subset of the array, such that the distance of points is lower to the median of distances)
  node.right = make_tree(subset, such the distance is greater or equal to the median)
  return node

Answer 1

A recursive function with only one recursive call can usually be turned into a tail-recursive function without too much effort, and then it's trivial to convert it into an iterative function. The canonical example here is factorial:

# naïve recursion
def fac(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return 1
    else:
        return n * fac(n - 1)

# tail-recursive with accumulator
def fac(n):
    def fac_helper(m, k):
        if m <= 1:
            return k
        else:
            return fac_helper(m - 1, m * k)
    return fac_helper(n, 1)

# iterative with accumulator
def fac(n):
    k = 1
    while n > 1:
        n, k = n - 1, n * k
    return k

However, your case here involves two recursive calls, and unless you significantly rework your algorithm, you need to keep a stack. Managing your own stack may be a little faster than using Python's function call stack, but the added speed and depth will probably not be worth the complexity. The canonical example here would be the Fibonacci sequence:

# naïve recursion
def fib(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return 1
    else:
        return fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2)

# tail-recursive with accumulator and stack
def fib(n):
    def fib_helper(m, k, stack):
        if m <= 1:
            if stack:
                m = stack.pop()
                return fib_helper(m, k + 1, stack)
            else:
                return k + 1
        else:
            stack.append(m - 2)
            return fib_helper(m - 1, k, stack)
    return fib_helper(n, 0, [])

# iterative with accumulator and stack
def fib(n):
    k, stack = 0, []
    while 1:
        if n <= 1:
            k = k + 1
            if stack:
                n = stack.pop()
            else:
                break
        else:
            stack.append(n - 2)
            n = n - 1
    return k

Now, your case is a lot tougher than this: a simple accumulator will have difficulties expressing a partly-built tree with a pointer to where a subtree needs to be generated. You'll want a zipper -- not easy to implement in a not-really-functional language like Python.

Answer 2

Making an iterative version is simply a matter of using your own stack instead of the normal language call stack. I doubt the iterative version would be faster, as the normal call stack is optimized for this purpose.

Answer 3

The data you're getting is random so the tree can be an arbitrary binary tree. For this case, you can use a threaded binary tree, which can be traversed and built w/o recursion and no stack. The nodes have a flag that indicate if the link is a link to another node or how to get to the "next node".

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threaded_binary_tree

Answer 4

Depending on how you define "iterative", there is another solution not mentioned by the previous answers. If "iterative" just means "not subject to a stack overflow exception" (but "allowed to use 'let rec'"), then in a language that supports tail calls, you can write a version using continuations (rather than an "explicit stack"). The F# code below illustrates this. It is similar to your original problem, in that it builds a BST out of an array. If the array is shuffled randomly, the tree is relatively balanced and the recursive version does not create too deep a stack. But turn off shuffling, and the tree gets unbalanced, and the recursive version stack-overflows whereas the iterative-with-continuations version continues along happily.

#light 
open System

let printResults = false
let MAX = 20000
let shuffleIt = true

// handy helper function
let rng = new Random(0)
let shuffle (arr : array<'a>) = // '
    let n = arr.Length
    for x in 1..n do
        let i = n-x
        let j = rng.Next(i+1)
        let tmp = arr.[i]
        arr.[i] <- arr.[j]
        arr.[j] <- tmp

// Same random array
let sampleArray = Array.init MAX (fun x -> x) 
if shuffleIt then
    shuffle sampleArray

if printResults then
    printfn "Sample array is %A" sampleArray

// Tree type
type Tree =
    | Node of int * Tree * Tree
    | Leaf

// MakeTree1 is recursive
let rec MakeTree1 (arr : array<int>) lo hi =  // [lo,hi)
    if lo = hi then
        Leaf
    else
        let pivot = arr.[lo]
        // partition
        let mutable storeIndex = lo + 1
        for i in lo + 1 .. hi - 1 do
            if arr.[i] < pivot then
                let tmp = arr.[i]
                arr.[i] <- arr.[storeIndex]
                arr.[storeIndex] <- tmp 
                storeIndex <- storeIndex + 1
        Node(pivot, MakeTree1 arr (lo+1) storeIndex, MakeTree1 arr storeIndex hi)

// MakeTree2 has all tail calls (uses continuations rather than a stack, see
// http://lorgonblog.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!701679AD17B6D310!171.entry 
// for more explanation)
let MakeTree2 (arr : array<int>) lo hi =  // [lo,hi)
    let rec MakeTree2Helper (arr : array<int>) lo hi k =
        if lo = hi then
            k Leaf
        else
            let pivot = arr.[lo]
            // partition
            let storeIndex = ref(lo + 1)
            for i in lo + 1 .. hi - 1 do
                if arr.[i] < pivot then
                    let tmp = arr.[i]
                    arr.[i] <- arr.[!storeIndex]
                    arr.[!storeIndex] <- tmp 
                    storeIndex := !storeIndex + 1
            MakeTree2Helper arr (lo+1) !storeIndex (fun lacc ->
                MakeTree2Helper arr !storeIndex hi (fun racc ->
                    k (Node(pivot,lacc,racc))))
    MakeTree2Helper arr lo hi (fun x -> x)

// MakeTree2 never stack overflows
printfn "calling MakeTree2..."
let tree2 = MakeTree2 sampleArray 0 MAX
if printResults then
    printfn "MakeTree2 yields"
    printfn "%A" tree2

// MakeTree1 might stack overflow
printfn "calling MakeTree1..."
let tree1 = MakeTree1 sampleArray 0 MAX
if printResults then
    printfn "MakeTree1 yields"
    printfn "%A" tree1

printfn "Trees are equal: %A" (tree1 = tree2)

Answer 5

Yes it is possible to make any recursive algorithm iterative. Implicitly, when you create a recursive algorithm each call places the prior call onto the stack. What you want to do is make the implicit call stack into an explicit one. The iterative version won't necessarily be faster, but you won't have to worry about a stack overflow. (do I get a badge for using the name of the site in my answer?

Answer 6

While it is true in the general sense that directly converting a recursive algorithm into an iterative one will require an explicit stack, there is a specific sub-set of algorithms which render directly in iterative form (without the need for a stack). These renderings may not have the same performance guarantees (iterating over a functional list vs recursive deconstruction), but they do often exist.

Answer 7

Here is stack based iterative solution (Java):

public static Tree builtBSTFromSortedArray(int[] inputArray){

    Stack toBeDone=new Stack("sub trees to be created under these nodes");

    //initialize start and end 
    int start=0;
    int end=inputArray.length-1;

    //keep memoy of the position (in the array) of the previously created node
    int previous_end=end;
    int previous_start=start;

    //Create the result tree 
    Node root=new Node(inputArray[(start+end)/2]);
    Tree result=new Tree(root);
    while(root!=null){
        System.out.println("Current root="+root.data);

        //calculate last middle (last node position using the last start and last end)
        int last_mid=(previous_start+previous_end)/2;

        //*********** add left node to the previously created node ***********
        //calculate new start and new end positions
        //end is the previous index position minus 1
        end=last_mid-1; 
        //start will not change for left nodes generation
        start=previous_start; 
        //check if the index exists in the array and add the left node
        if (end>=start){
            root.left=new Node(inputArray[((start+end)/2)]);
            System.out.println("\tCurrent root.left="+root.left.data);
        }
        else
            root.left=null;
        //save previous_end value (to be used in right node creation)
        int previous_end_bck=previous_end;
        //update previous end
        previous_end=end;

        //*********** add right node to the previously created node ***********
        //get the initial value (inside the current iteration) of previous end
        end=previous_end_bck;
        //start is the previous index position plus one
        start=last_mid+1;
        //check if the index exists in the array and add the right node
        if (start<=end){
            root.right=new Node(inputArray[((start+end)/2)]);
            System.out.println("\tCurrent root.right="+root.right.data);
            //save the created node and its index position (start & end) in the array to toBeDone stack
            toBeDone.push(root.right);
            toBeDone.push(new Node(start));
            toBeDone.push(new Node(end));   
        }

        //*********** update the value of root ***********
        if (root.left!=null){
            root=root.left; 
        }
        else{
            if (toBeDone.top!=null) previous_end=toBeDone.pop().data;
            if (toBeDone.top!=null) previous_start=toBeDone.pop().data;
            root=toBeDone.pop();    
        }
    }
    return result;  
}