min heap stl with code examples

A min heap is a binary tree data structure where the parent node is always smaller than or equal to its child nodes. The STL, or Standard Template Library, provides a container class for implementing a min heap, which is known as the priority_queue class. In this article, we will discuss how to implement a min heap in C++ using the priority_queue class, along with some code examples.

Initializing the Min Heap STL

The priority_queue class in STL provides the implementation of the min heap data structure, and it is declared as follows:

#include <queue>

std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int>> minHeap;

In the above code, we are using the std::priority_queue class to declare a min heap. The first parameter in the declaration specifies the data type of the elements that will be stored in the heap. In the above example, we are using the int data type. The second parameter specifies the underlying data structure that will be used to implement the heap. In the code example above, we are using the std::vector container class. The third parameter specifies the comparison function that will be used to determine the ordering of elements in the heap. In the code example above, we are using the std::greater comparison function, which orders the elements in descending order.

Inserting Elements into the Min Heap STL

To insert an element into the min heap STL, we can use the push() function. The push() function takes a single argument that is the value of the element that we want to insert into the heap. Here is an example of how to insert elements into the min heap STL:

#include <iostream>
#include <queue>

int main() {
  std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int>> minHeap;

  minHeap.push(3);
  minHeap.push(5);
  minHeap.push(1);
  minHeap.push(7);
  minHeap.push(4);

  while(!minHeap.empty()) {
    std::cout << minHeap.top() << " ";
    minHeap.pop();
  }

  return 0;

}

// Output: 1 3 4 5 7

In the above example, we first declare a min heap STL using the priority_queue class. We then insert five elements into the heap using the push() function. We also print the elements of the heap using the top() function, which returns the minimum element in the heap, and the pop() function, which removes the minimum element from the heap.

Removing Elements from the Min Heap STL

To remove an element from the min heap STL, we can use the pop() function. The pop() function removes the minimum element from the heap, and it does not return any value. Here is an example of how to remove elements from the min heap STL:

#include <iostream>
#include <queue>

int main() {
  std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int>> minHeap;

  minHeap.push(3);
  minHeap.push(5);
  minHeap.push(1);
  minHeap.push(7);
  minHeap.push(4);

  minHeap.pop(); // Remove the minimum element (i.e. 1)

  while(!minHeap.empty()) {
    std::cout << minHeap.top() << " ";
    minHeap.pop();
  }

  return 0;

}

// Output: 3 4 5 7

In the above example, we first declare a min heap STL using the priority_queue class. We then insert five elements into the heap using the push() function. We then remove the minimum element from the heap using the pop() function. We also print the elements of the heap using the top() function and the pop() function.

Conclusion

The min heap STL in C++ provides a simple and efficient way to implement a min heap data structure. With the priority_queue class, we can easily insert and remove elements from the heap, and we can use the STL algorithms and operators to perform complex operations on the heap. In this article, we discussed how to implement a min heap in C++ using the priority_queue class, along with some code examples.

Sure! Here are some additional details about the concepts discussed in the article.

Priority Queue Class

The priority_queue class is part of the Standard Template Library (STL), and it provides an implementation of the heap data structure. The heap data structure can be either a min heap or a max heap, depending on the ordering of the elements in the heap. The priority_queue class provides a container class that allows us to create a min heap or a max heap efficiently. By default, the priority_queue class creates a max heap, but we can specify a different comparison function to create a min heap.

The priority_queue class has the following member functions:

push(): Adds a new element to the heap.
pop(): Removes the top element from the heap.
top(): Returns the top element of the heap.
size(): Returns the number of elements in the heap.
empty(): Returns true if the heap is empty, false otherwise.

Min Heap

A min heap is a binary tree data structure where the parent node is always smaller than or equal to its child nodes. In a min heap, the minimum element is always at the top of the tree, which makes it efficient to find the minimum element in the heap. The time complexity of finding the minimum element in a min heap is O(1), which is a constant time complexity. However, the time complexity of inserting and removing elements from a min heap is O(log n), where n is the number of elements in the heap. The height of a binary tree is log n, which means that inserting or removing an element from the bottom of the tree can take up to log n steps.

In a min heap, the values of the elements do not matter. What matters is their relative ordering. The parent node must be smaller than or equal to its child nodes, and the ordering must be maintained as new elements are added or removed from the heap.

Code Examples

Here are some additional code examples that demonstrate how to use the priority_queue class to create a min heap:

Example 1: Creating a Min Heap with Specified Comparison Function

#include <queue>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int>> minHeap;
    minHeap.push(10);
    minHeap.push(5);
    minHeap.push(20);
    minHeap.push(15);
    minHeap.push(30);

    while (!minHeap.empty()) {
        std::cout << minHeap.top() << " ";
        minHeap.pop();
    }

    return 0;
}

// Output: 5 10 15 20 30

In the above example, we create a min heap using the std::priority_queue class with the std::greater comparison function. We insert five elements into the heap and then print them in ascending order.

Example 2: Creating a Min Heap with Default Comparison Function

#include <queue>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::priority_queue<int> minHeap;
    minHeap.push(10);
    minHeap.push(5);
    minHeap.push(20);
    minHeap.push(15);
    minHeap.push(30);

    while (!minHeap.empty()) {
        std::cout << minHeap.top() << " ";
        minHeap.pop();
    }

    return 0;
}

// Output: 5 10 15 20 30

In the above example, we create a min heap using the std::priority_queue class without specifying a comparison function. By default, the priority_queue class uses the std::less comparison function to create a max heap. We insert five elements into the heap and then print them in ascending order by using the std::less comparison function.

Conclusion

A min heap is a useful data structure that allows us to efficiently find the minimum element in a set of elements. The STL provides a simple and efficient way to create a min heap by using the priority_queue class. In this article, we discussed how to initialize, insert, and remove elements from a min heap using the priority_queue class, along with some code examples.

min heap stl with code examples

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