On Huang and Wong's Algorithm for Generalized Binary Split Trees
Data Structures and Algorithms
2022-02-15 v4
Abstract
Huang and Wong [1984] proposed a polynomial-time dynamic-programming algorithm for computing optimal generalized binary split trees. We show that their algorithm is incorrect. Thus, it remains open whether such trees can be computed in polynomial time. Spuler [1994] proposed modifying Huang and Wong's algorithm to obtain an algorithm for a different problem: computing optimal two-way-comparison search trees. We show that the dynamic program underlying Spuler's algorithm is not valid, in that it does not satisfy the necessary optimal-substructure property and its proposed recurrence relation is incorrect. It remains unknown whether the algorithm is guaranteed to compute a correct overall solution.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1901.03783,
title = {On Huang and Wong's Algorithm for Generalized Binary Split Trees},
author = {Marek Chrobak and Mordecai Golin and J. Ian Munro and Neal E. Young},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1901.03783},
year = {2022}
}