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Design and implementation of an efficient priority queue

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Abstract

We present a data structure, based upon a hierarchically decomposed tree, which enables us to manipulate on-line a priority queue whose priorities are selected from the interval 1,⋯,n with a worst case processing time of\(\mathcal{O}\) (log logn) per instruction. The structure can be used to obtain a mergeable heap whose time requirements are about as good. Full details are explained based upon an implementation of the structure in a PASCAL program contained in the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematical Centre, 2e Boerhaavestraat 49, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    P. van Emde Boas & R. Kaas

  2. Mathematical Institute, University of Amsterdam, Roeterstraat 15, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    E. Zijlstra

Authors
  1. P. van Emde Boas
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  2. R. Kaas
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  3. E. Zijlstra
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Additional information

Work supported by grant CR 62-50. Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (Z.W.O.).

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van Emde Boas, P., Kaas, R. & Zijlstra, E. Design and implementation of an efficient priority queue. Math. Systems Theory 10, 99–127 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01683268

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01683268

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