Binary Tree Datastructure
In a normal tree, every node can have any number of children. A binary tree is a special type
of tree data structure in which every node can have a maximum of 2 children. One is known
as a left child and the other is known as right child.
A tree in which every node can have a maximum of two children is called Binary Tree.
In a binary tree, every node can have either 0 children or 1 child or 2 children but not more
than 2 children.
Example
There are different types of binary trees and they are...
1. Strictly Binary Tree
In a binary tree, every node can have a maximum of two children. But in strictly binary tree,
every node should have exactly two children or none. That means every internal node must
have exactly two children. A strictly Binary Tree can be defined as follows...
A binary tree in which every node has either two or zero number of children is called Strictly
Binary Tree
Strictly binary tree is also called as Full Binary Tree or Proper Binary Tree or 2-Tree
Strictly binary tree data structure is used to represent mathematical expressions.
Example
2. Complete Binary Tree
In a binary tree, every node can have a maximum of two children. But in strictly binary tree,
every node should have exactly two children or none and in complete binary tree all the
nodes must have exactly two children and at every level of complete binary tree there must be
2level number of nodes. For example at level 2 there must be 22 = 4 nodes and at level 3 there
must be 23 = 8 nodes.
A binary tree in which every internal node has exactly two children and all leaf nodes are
at same level is called Complete Binary Tree.
Complete binary tree is also called as Perfect Binary Tree
3. Extended Binary Tree
A binary tree can be converted into Full Binary tree by adding dummy nodes to existing
nodes wherever required.
The full binary tree obtained by adding dummy nodes to a binary tree is called as Extended
Binary Tree.
In above figure, a normal binary tree is converted into full binary tree by adding dummy
nodes (In pink colour).
Binary Tree Representations
A binary tree data structure is represented using two methods. Those methods are as
follows...
1. Array Representation
2. Linked List Representation
Consider the following binary tree...
1. Array Representation of Binary Tree
In array representation of a binary tree, we use one-dimensional array (1-D Array) to
represent a binary tree.
Consider the above example of a binary tree and it is represented as follows...
To represent a binary tree of depth 'n' using array representation, we need one dimensional
array with a maximum size of 2n + 1.
2. Linked List Representation of Binary Tree
We use a double linked list to represent a binary tree. In a double linked list, every node
consists of three fields. First field for storing left child address, second for storing actual data
and third for storing right child address.
In this linked list representation, a node has the following structure...
The above example of the binary tree represented using Linked list representation is shown as
follows...
