binary search tree

(data structure)

Definition: A binary tree where every node's left subtree has keys less than the node's key, and every right subtree has keys greater than the node's key.

Generalization (I am a kind of ...)
binary tree, search tree.

Specialization (... is a kind of me.)
AVL tree, splay tree, threaded tree, randomized binary search tree, discrete interval encoding tree.

Aggregate parent (I am a part of or used in ...)
treesort (1).

Note: A binary search tree is almost always implemented with pointers, but may have a variety of constraints on how it is composed.

Author: PEB

Implementation

Ben Pfaff's insert, delete, search, copy, etc. (literate C); Kaz Kylheku's Austin (C) implementing sorted list, binary search tree, AVL, red-black and splay trees and conversions from any of these to any other. Maksim Goleta's Collections (C#) implementing singly- and doubly-linked lists, binary search trees, and AVL trees. insert (C), insert (C), search (C), and insert, search, delete, and various traversals (Modula-2) (use must be acknowledged).

More information

A animation (Java).

Go to the Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures home page.

If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul E. Black.

Entry modified 23 April 2007.
HTML page formatted Mon Apr 23 09:44:59 2007.

Cite this as:
Paul E. Black, "binary search tree", in Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Paul E. Black, ed., U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 23 April 2007. (accessed TODAY) Available from: http://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/binarySearchTree.html