How to build an incomplete binary tree from array representation

Question

if the input is an array, where null means no node.

input:

[1, 2, 3, null, 5, null, 7]

Please assume that I have already checked the input.

For each array[i], its parents array[i / 2] will not be null (recursively, so root can not be null).

How to build a tree with such logic relation:

   1
 /    \
2      3
 \      \ 
  5      7

each node should be represented by a TreeNode object:

class TreeNode {
public:
    int val;
    TreeNode *left;
    TreeNode *right;
    TreeNode(int x) : val(x), left(nullptr), right(nullptr) {}
};

I found a blog here where a complete tree was built

but if the tree is incomplete as mentioned above, how to do it neatly and efficiently ?

Test data:

[input array]

[-64,12,18,-4,-53,null,76,null,-51,null,null,-93,3,null,-31,47,null,3,53,-81,33,4,null,-51,-44,-60,11,null,null,null,null,78,null,-35,-64,26,-81,-31,27,60,74,null,null,8,-38,47,12,-24,null,-59,-49,-11,-51,67,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,-67,null,-37,-19,10,-55,72,null,null,null,-70,17,-4,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,3,80,44,-88,-91,null,48,-90,-30,null,null,90,-34,37,null,null,73,-38,-31,-85,-31,-96,null,null,-18,67,34,72,null,-17,-77,null,56,-65,-88,-53,null,null,null,-33,86,null,81,-42,null,null,98,-40,70,-26,24,null,null,null,null,92,72,-27,null,null,null,null,null,null,-67,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,-54,-66,-36,null,-72,null,null,43,null,null,null,-92,-1,-98,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,39,-84,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,-93,null,null,null,98]

Answer 1

When implementing a binary tree as an array it helps to have a clear visualization of how the two representations mirror one another, and review the mathematical structure that underlines the relationship.

If we consider 0-indexed arrays the mathematical relation can be broken down as such,

• The root node has index 0

For the i:th node (i is the array index) we have that (verify)

• The left-child of the node has the index 2i + 1
• The right-child of the node has the index 2(i + 1)
• The parent of a node has the index floor((i-1)/2)

So, for the binary tree

if we let - denote null, is represented as such

[0:a, 1:b, 2:c, 3:d, 4:e, 5:-, 6:-, 7:-, 8:-, 9:g, 10:-, 11:-, 12:-, 13:-, 14:-]

So now to create the OO representation from the array you simply apply these indexing rules. So, since you know that the root node is a then we get its children at:

• Left: 2*0 + 1 = 1 => b
• Right: 2*(0 + 1) = 2 => c

Pseudo code

for (int idx = 0; 2*(idx + 1) < len(arr); idx++) {
    if (arr[idx] == null) {
        // There is no node to add for this index
        continue;
    }

    TreeNode t = null;

    if (idx == 0) {
        // Root node case
        t = TreeNode(val: arr[idx]);
        binary_tree.add(id: idx, node: t);
    }

    // We do not know if these exist yet
    int left_idx = 2*idx + 1; 
    int right_idx = 2*(idx + 1);

    if (left_idx >= len(arr)) {
        // left_idx is out of bounds with respect to the array, 
        // and by extension so would the right node be
        continue;
    }

    TreeNode left = null;
    TreeNode right = null;

    if (arr[left_idx] != null) {
        // This node has never been encountered before
        // and it is non-null so it must be created.
        //
        // Since we know we have a root node then there is
        // no need to check if the tree already contains this
        // node, it simply is not possible. Ditto for the right
        // node.
        left = TreeNode(val: arr[left_idx]);
        binary_tree.add(id: left_idx, node: left);
    }

    if (right_idx >= len(arr)) {
        // There cannot be a right child
        continue;
    }

    if (arr[right_idx] != null) {
        // This node has never been encountered before
        // and it is non-null so it must be created.
        right = TreeNode(val: arr[right_idx]);
        binary_tree.add(id: right_idx, right);
    }

    // It does not matter if left or right is null
    t.set_left(left)
    t.set_right(right)    
}